The  Merchant  of 
Mount  Vernon 


GIFT  OF 


I   b 


DE  WITT  &  SWELLING 


THE  MERCHANT  OF 
MOUNT  VERNON 


By 


John  Leonard  Smith 


Has  Angeles 

PUBLISHED   BY  THE  AUTHOR 
1907 


Copyright,  1907,  by  John  Leonard  Smith 


ftefar* 

The  main  object  of  this  book  is  to  reunite  a  mother  and 
daughter,  if  the  mother  is  still  living. 

The  mother  left  a  home  of  luxury  in  England  to  share  her 
lot  with  a  poor  Englishman.  The  marriage  was  bitterly 
opposed  by  the  parents  of  the  lady,  who  cast  her  off,  and 
together  the  pair  came  to  Toronto,  Canada,  and  a  short  time 
later  a  baby  girl  was  born. 

The  young  husband  went  on  the  road  as  a  commercial  trav- 
eler, and  was  killed  in  a  railway  wreck.  The  mother,  reared 
in  the  lap  of  luxury,  was  unable  to  care  for  herself  and  babe, 
and  left  her  at  the  home  of  a  wealthy  lady,  who  had  given  her 
employment  on  several  occasions. 

She  never  returned  for  the  babe,  and  her  fate  is  unknown. 

Full  information  concerning  names,  dates,  watch  and  locket 
may  be  obtained  by  applying  to  the  author, 

JOHN  LEONARD  SMITH. 

Los  Angeles,  California. 


260324 


THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

CHAPTEK  I. 

<M  far      War 


James  Vernon  was  the  leading  merchant  and  president  of 
the  Savings  Bank  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Michigan.  At  the  time  the 
principal  events  of  this  tale  began  to  take  place  it  was  the 
chief  lumber  center  of  the  lower  peninsula,  and  had  a  popula- 
tion of  about  six  thousand  and  five  hundred  souls.  The  sup- 
plies of  all  the  lumber  camps  in  the  central  part  of  the  State 
were  purchased  there,  and  it  bore  the  reputation  of  being  the 
most  important  lumber  and  commercial  city  of  its  size  in  the 
lower  peninsula. 

Mr.  Vernon  was  a  shrewd,  far-seeing  man,  who  went  there 
when  the  place  was  a  forest,  and  by  dint  of  hard  work  and 
perseverance  had  changed  the  place  from  a  wilderness  of  trees 
to  a  bustling  little  city,  with  noisy  mill  wheels  and  screaming 
steam  whistles. 

The  city  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Chippewa  River, 
about  seventy-five  miles  west  of  Saginaw  Bay. 

The  river  at  this  point  forms  over  a  mile  of  rapids,  and 
Mr.  Vernon's  practical  eye  saw  the  excellent  opportunities  to 
use  the  water  power  for  manufacturing  purposes  in  the  future, 
and,  with  this  end  in  view,  purchased  six  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land  bordering  on  the  river  front,  which  afterward 
became  the  site  of  Mt.  Vernon. 

It  is  here  quite  appropriate  to  give  the  reader  a  short  his- 
tory of  James  Vernon's  early  life.  Born  in  Culpepper,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1843,  he  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  and 
proudest  families  of  that  grand  old  State  noted  for  its  beauti- 
ful women  and  chivalrous  men. 

9 


10  THE  MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON". 

His  father  used  to  point  with  pride  to  the  records  of  his 
illustrious  ancestors  and  their  deeds  of  heroism  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War  under  the  leadership  of  that  glorious  man, 
General  Washington.  But  he  was  destined  to  have  the  counsel 
of  that  noble  Christian  father  but  a  short  time.  His  birth 
was  the  cause  of  his  mother's  death,  and  his  father  followed 
her  when  James  was  but  a  child,  scarcely  twelve  years  of 
age. 

Upon  the  death  of  his  father,  James  was  left  under  the 
guardianship  of  his  uncle,  Thomas  Mansfield,  who  was  his 
mother's  younger  brother. 

The  uncle  proved  false  to  his  trust;  the  fine  old  plantation 
which  had  been  the  home  of  his  ancestors  since  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  was  heavily  mortgaged ;  the  funds  in  the 
bank  dwindled  down  to  a  mere  pittance,  and  the  best  of  the 
stock  was  disposed  of  in  various  ways  while  James  was  attend- 
ing a  northern  college. 

It  was  here  that  James  first  began  to  learn  the  ways  of  the 
world,  and  many  things  which  had  transpired  in  the  past 
had  seemed  all  right  and  proper  at  the  time,  but  now  assumed 
an  entirely  different  aspect,  and  a  vague  suspicion  of  wrong- 
doing entered  his  mind  for  the  first  time. 

Old  Colonel  Green,  whose  plantation  adjoined  that  of  the 
Vernons,  had  been  his  father's  closest  friend,  and  upon  the 
death  of  the  latter  he  filled  the  place  of  father  toward  the 
orphan  boy  as  near  as  he  could,  and  it  would  have  been  much 
better  had  he  been  appointed  James'  guardian  instead  of  his 
uncle  Thomas. 

It  was  to  this  kind  friend  that  James  now  turned  for  coun- 
sel and  assistance,  and  accordingly  wrote  him  a  long  letter, 
telling  him  of  his  suspicions. 

The  Colonel  was  a  fiery,  hot-tempered  old  fellow,  very  pro- 
nounced in  his  likes  and  dislikes,  and  always  spoke  his  mind 
wherever  he  happened  to  be,  utterly  regardless  of  whom  he 
might  offend,  and  as  a  result  he  had  several  times  got  into 
trouble  in  his  younger  days.  But  he  was  a  famous  athlete, 


OFF   FOR  THE   WAR.  11 

an  expert  swordsman  and  a  dead  shot ;  consequently  the  other 
man  in  each  case  had  got  the  worst  of  the  argument. 

He  had  long  had  his  doubts  of  the  good  intentions  of  Mr. 
Mansfield  toward  the  orphan  boy,  and,  with  the  characteristic 
bluntness  of  his  nature,  had  accused  him  of  bad  faith. 

This,  as  a  matter  of  course,  caused  a  breach  in  their  friend- 
ship, and  they  had  never  spoken  to  each  other  since. 

On  receiving  the  young  collegian's  letter  the  peppery  old 
Colonel  went  straight  over  to  see  Mr.  Mansfield,  but,  on 
reaching  the  home  of  that  gentleman,  a  darkey  informed  him 
that  the  master  was  away  on  business,  and  would  not  be  back 
for  several  months.  Bottling  up  his  wrath,  he  fairly  tore  back 
home,  vowing  that  he  would  have  an  explanation  from  the 
rascally  uncle  the  moment  he  set  foot  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  some  pretty  lively  times  were  promised  sleepy  old  Cul- 
pepper  when  Mr.  Mansfield  returned. 

When  it  became  noised  around  the  neighborhood  that 
trouble  was  brewing  between  the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Mansfield, 
it  was  freely  hinted  by  the  wiseacres  that  Mr.  Mansfield  was 
afraid  and  cleared  out. 

The  affection  of  the  Colonel  for  James  was  well  known,  and 
it  was  the  general  impression  of  everyone  that  the  latter  would 
some  day  marry  Colonel  Green's  beautiful  granddaughter, 
Jessie  Hamilton. 

The  two  had  been  sweethearts  from  childhood,  and  it  was 
the  dearest  wish  of  Colonel  Green's  heart  that  they  should  be 
united  in  marriage. 

The  Colonel  was  never  known  to  yield  a  particle  to  anyone 
when  they  crossed  his  will,  and  when  his  only  daughter  mar- 
ried Joseph  Hamilton  against  his  most  express  wishes,  he 
never  forgave  her  or  saw  her  face  in  life  again. 

The  young  couple  went  north  to  live,  and  both  were  killed 
in  a  railway  wreck  in  Boston  while  returning  home  from  a 
musical  entertainment. 

They  had  been  married  two  years  when  the  accident 
occurred,  and  they  left  a  little  blue-eyed  baby  girl  behind. 


12  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.   VERNON. 

The  stubborn  old  Colonel,  upon  hearing  of  the  fatal  accident, 
hastened  to  Boston  at  once,  gave  the  couple  a  splendid  burial, 
and  took  the  orphan  girl  home. 

All  the  pent-up  affection  of  the  old  man's  heart  was  lav- 
ished on  the  child  of  the  daughter  who  had  dared  to  disobey 
him.  Nothing  was  too  good  for  her.  He  named  her  Jessie, 
and  she  grew  up  as  beautiful  as  a  dream  both  in  mind  and  in 
body.  The  best  tutors  of  the  day  were  obtained  for  her  educa- 
tion, the  Colonel  refusing  to  send  her  to  an  institution  of 
learning  because  he  would  not  be  parted  from  her. 

He  forbade  his  meek  little  wife  ever  mentioning  their 
daughter's  name  in  his  presence,  and  whether  or  not  he  was 
sorry  because  he  had  treated  her  so  harshly  was  a  secret 
known  only  to  himself  and  his  Maker. 

The  old  man's  affection  was  returned  by  the  child,  and  she1 
was  the  only  one  who  could  do  anything  with  him  when  he 
was  angry,  which,  by  the  way,  was  generally  rather  often. 

She  never  crossed  his  wish  in  any  way,  and  when  he  would 
have  an  outburst  of  anger,  she  would  throw  her  soft,  white 
arms  about  his  neck  and  whisper  words  in  his  ear  that  were 
as  oil  upon  the  troubled  waters  of  the  sea. 

When  James  and  Jessie  announced  their  engagement  it  was 
the  happiest  moment  of  Colonel  Green's  life.  The  old  southern 
mansion  was  thrown  open  for  a  grand  ball,  and  all  the  neigh- 
borhood was  invited.  Before  the  ball  was  over,  the  Colonel 
was  gloriously  intoxicated,  and  his  meek  little  wife  was  obliged 
to  put  him  to  bed. 

James  left  for  college  a  week  after  the  ball,  with  the  sweet 
remembrance  of  his  sweetheart's  kisses  on  his  lips  and  her 
vows  of  undying  love  ringing  in  his  ears. 

It  was  the  second  year  of  his  college  career  when  the  terrible- 
news  of  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States  was  flashed 
throughout  the  world. 

James'  stay  in  the  North  and  his  learning  at  college  served 
to  give  him  an  insight  into  the  future,  and  he  saw  the  terri- 
ble results  should  the  seceding  States  come  out  victorious. 


OFF   FOR   THE   WAR.  13 

There  was  a  long,  hard  struggle  in  his  breast,  and  he  was 
torn  by  conflicting  emotions.  The  love  for  his  native  State, 
his  grand  old  southern  home,  his  sweetheart  and  the  friends 
of  his  youth  appealed  to  him  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  side, 
what  he  considered  duty. 

He  knew  the  hot-headed  old  Colonel  would  never  forgive 
him  should  he  take  up  arms  in  behalf  of  the  North,  for  imme- 
diately on  learning  of  the  forthcoming  struggle,  he  wrote  the 
young  collegian,  bidding  him  come  home  at  once  and  take  up 
arms  in  defense  of  the  South. 

It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  James  turned  homeward,  for 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  don  the  uniform  of  the  blue, 
cost  him  what  it  may. 

That  the  interview  with  the  Colonel  would  be  a  stormy  one 
he  knew  full  well,  but  what  would  the  little  girl,  whom  he 
had  not  seen  for  the  past  year,  say?  Would  she  receive  him 
with  open  arms  when  he  told  her  he  was  about  to  don  the  uni- 
form of  the  blue  and  fight  against  his  native  State,  the  friends 
of  his  childhood,  but,  worst  of  all,  against  her  grandfather, 
the  stubborn  old  man  who  never  gave  in  to  any  one,  and  when 
Colonel  Green  should  learn  of  his  determination  to  fight  for 
the  North,  might  he  not  forbid  him  to  ever  see  or  speak  to 
Jessie  again? 

Upon  arriving  at  Culpepper  he  made  his  way  to  the  only 
hotel  the  place  boasted  of,  and  changed  his  travel-stained  gar- 
ments for  others  more  suitable  for  the  climate. 

The  Colonel's  home  lay  between  his  home  and  Culpepper, 
and,  not  wishing  Colonel  Green  to  see  him  until  after  he  had 
held  an  interview  with  Jessie,  he  waited  until  after  dark 
before  starting  for  home. 

He  just  reached  the  familiar  driveway  in  front  of  his  grand 
old-fashioned  southern  home,  when  he  chanced  to  look  down 
the  road  and  saw  a  horse  and  carriage  rapidly  approaching. 

A  peal  of  silvery  laughter  that  sent  the  blood  tingling 
through  his  veins  told  him  who  at  least  one  of  the  occupants 
of  the  carriage  was  long  before  he  was  able  to  distinguish 


14  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

a  mere  outline  of  their  forms.  Stepping  out  to  the  roadside, 
he  waited,  hat  in  hand,  until  they  were  nearly  abreast  of  him, 
and  then  he  hailed  them  with  a  hearty  "  good  evening,  ladies 
and  gentlemen." 

A  low,  glad  cry  was  the  answer  of  Jessie,  while  the  occu- 
pants of  the  buggy,  who  proved  to  be  the  Fredericks  boys  and 
their  sister,  greeted  him  with  genuine  affection. 

Jessie  had  been  their  guest  for  the  past  week,  and  they  were 
driving  her  home  when  they  chanced  to  meet  James  in  the 
road. 

A  few  words  of  explanation  served  to  make  each  acquainted 
with  the  facts  of  their  meeting,  and,  after  a  few  minutes'  con- 
versation relating  chiefly  to  James'  absence  in  the  North  and 
the  terrible  news  of  the  impending  war,  they  drove  away. 

The  Fredericks  boys  had  been  loud  in  their  denunciation  of 
the  president  and  the  northern  people  in  general,  so  much 
so  that  neither  noticed  the  silence  of  James. 

Jessie,  who  knev  every  trait  of  his  straightforward  charac- 
ter, guessed  the  reason  at  once,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of 
relief  that  she  saw  her  friends  depart  for  home. 

She  had  alighted  from  the  buggy  as  soon  as  it  came  to  a 
standstill,  saying  she  would  walk  the  remaining  short  distance 
home  with  James. 

Side  by  side  they  stood,  watching  the  carriage  disappearing 
in  the  distance,  and  when  the  last  outline  faded  from  sight 
in  the  dusk  he  strained  her  to  his  breast,  saying,  "  Jessie,  I 
have  something  of  the  gravest  importance  to  say  to  you 
to-night;  something  that  may  part  our  ways  in  life  forever." 
For  answer  she  threw  her  white  arms  about  his  neck,  crying, 
"  Nothing  can  ever  part  us — nothing." 

"  Not  even  if  I  were  to  tell  you  that  I  am  to  become  what 
the  people  down  here  will  call  a  traitor,  aye,  what  even  your 
grandfather  will  term  me  ?  " 

"  You  could  never  be  a  traitor  in  my  eyes,"  she  said.  "  Your 
noble,  generous  nature  could  never  stoop  to  that.  What  you 


OFF   FOR   THE   WAR.  15 

are  about  to  tell  me  I  have  already  guessed,  even  before  I 
alighted  from  the  buggy  this  evening." 

"You  did?  "  he  said,  wonder  ingly.    "  How?  " 

"  By  the  expression  on  your  face  as  well  as  by  your  actions/' 
she  said ;  but  as  an  afterthought  she  added,  "  they  did  not 
notice  anything  denoting  your  thoughts  to  be  otherwise  than 
their  own." 

"  But  how  did  you  notice  it  ?  "  he  persisted. 

"  0,  I  know  you  better  than  you  know  yourself,"  she  said. 
Then,  in  a  graver  voice,  she  added,  "  I  know  that  you  have 
decided  to  fight  for  the  North  because  you  believe  it  is  your 
duty  to  do  so." 

"  And  you  will  not  hate  me  for  so  doing  ?  "  he  cried,  eagerly. 
"  You  will  not  believe  as  the  rest  are  bound  to  believe,  that  I 
am  a  traitor  to  my  native  State  and  my  principles  ?  " 

"  Never,"  she  cried,  looking  lovingly  at  her  strong,  hand- 
some young  lover,  who  hung  on  her  words  as  if  life  and  death 
depended  on  them. 

"  I  would  still  believe  in  you  even  if  the  whole  world  turned 
against  you,"  she  said,  earnestly. 

"Thank  God  for  that,"  he  cried,  fervently,  straining  her 
to  his  breast  again.  "  I  feel  that  I  could  indeed  face  the  whole 
world  and  bid  it  defiance  now  that  I  know  your  confidence 
in  me  is  so  unshaken,"  and  he  added  sadly,  "  God  knows  I  will 
need  your  confidence  and  support." 

"  Put  your  faith  and  trust  in  Him  who  rules  all  things," 
she  said,  solemnly,  "for  all  things  work  together  for  His 
good,  and  I  can  see  the  finger  of  the  Almighty  pointing  to 
some  great  good  that  has  been  done  when  the  black  clouds  of 
war  have  been  dispelled  and  the  white  wings  of  the  dove  of 
peace  shall  have  once  more  settled  down  over  our  beloved 
country." 

"  Would  that  you  were  that  dove,  endowed  with  the  power 
to  settle  down  and. dispel  the  dark  gloom  hanging  over  us 
which  will  rend  and  sap  the  vitality  of  the  Union  to  the 
utmost." 


16  THE  MERCHANT  OF   MT.   VEENON. 

"  God  has  decreed  otherwise,  and  we  must  bow  to  His  will/' 
she  answered. 

"  But  what  are  your  sentiments  in  regard  to  this  impend- 
ing disaster,  sweetheart  ?  "  he  asked,  anxiously. 

"  As  a  daughter  of  the  South,  I  can  but  remain  loyal.  All 
my  sentiments  and  love  are  in  favor  of  this  sunny  land,  which 
has  been  my  home  longer  than  memory  can  travel  backward/' 
she  said. 

"  And  you  can  still  love  and  trust  me,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  in  a  few  days  I  will  probably  be  fighting  against  the 
South,  which  is  even  more  my  home  than  your  own,  for  you 
were  born  in  the  North,  while  I  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
home  which  even  now  stands  within  a  stone's  throw  of  us  ?  " 
he  asked,  doubtfully. 

"  I  love  and  respect  you  more  for  the  manly  stand  you  have 
taken  in  the  face  of  so  many  difficulties  than  if  you  were  to 
fight  for  the  South,  even  though  I  love  it  well  enough  to  lay 
down  my  very  life  should  duty  call  me  to  do  so/'  she  answered, 
earnestly. 

"  I,  too,  would  lay  down  my  life  most  cheerfully,  could  I 
but  see  a  way  to  stop  the  North  and  South  from  becoming 
embroiled  in  this  fearful  struggle.  I  love  the  South  with  my 
whole  heart,  but  I  love  the  Union  still  more.  My  teachings  in 
the  northern  colleges  have  taught  me  many  things  which  here- 
tofore I  never  dreamed  of,  and  the  voice  of  duty  calls  me  to 
take  up  arms  and  fight  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,"  he 
said. 

"  I  fully  understand  your  sentiments,  James,  and  I  shall 
not  try  to  persuade  you  to  waver  from  the  path  you  think  is 
right/'  she  replied. 

(( You  are  an  angel,  Jessie/'  he  cried,  rapturously.  "  Though 
we  may  be  foes,  we  shall  still  be  friends." 

"Yes,  and  lovers,  too,"  she  said,  nestling  closer  to  his 
breast. 

"  Was  a  man  or  lover  ever  placed  in  a  more  trying  or  strange 
position  than  I  am?"  he  asked,  gazing  sorrowfully  into  the 


OFF   FOR  THE   WAR.  17 

beautiful  upturned  face  of  the  maiden  whom  he  loved  better 
than  life  itself. 

"  Let  your  love  for  me  be  your  shield  and  guide  for  right, 
and  justice  will  some  day  reward  you  as  you  deserve. 

"  'Tis  always  darkest  just  before  dawn,  and  the  dark  clouds 
about  to  burst  over  our  unprotected  heads  will  soon  spend 
themselves  from  their  own  fury,  and  then  will  come  sunshine, 
and  we  shall  look  back  upon  these  dark  days,  which  shall  have 
become  but  a  memory,  and  say,  *  'Twas  all  for  the  best/  and 
out  of  the  ashes  of  the  past  has  risen  a  golden  future,  strewn 
with  the  roses  of  success,  which  will  never  fade  nor  grow  dim/' 

"  You  are  a  wise  little  prophet,  and  I  hope  all  will  be  well 
with  us  yet,"  said  James,  fondly.  "But  come,  sweetheart; 
the  hour  grows  late,  and  I  must  see  you  safely  under  the  roof 
of  your  grandfather,  and  if  we  tarry  longer  the  servants  will 
be  in  bed.  To-morrow  I  will  call  and  see  your  grandfather 
and  tell  him  the  position  I  feel  in  duty  bound  to  assume." 

"  He  will  be  dreadfully  angry  with  you,  James,"  she  said, 
"and  I  know  he  will  forbid  you  ever  seeing  or  speaking  to 
me  again.  But  I  will  meet  you  in  the  woods  down  by  the 
spring  back  of  the  house  at  3  o'clock  to-morrow  afternoon, 
and  we  can  lay  our  plans  for  the  future." 

Jessie's  home  was  soon  reached,  and,  after  taking  an  affec- 
tionate good-bye  of  her,  he  wended  his  way  slowly  and  thought- 
fully homeward. 

That  they  were  not  pleasant  thoughts  the  gentle  reader  must 
accept  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  there  was  one  gleam  of  sun- 
shine through  the  dark  rift  of  clouds — Jessie's  assurance  of 
her  trust  and  confidence,  which  buoyed  up  his  spirits  and 
gave  him  strength  to  follow  up  the  path  of  his  convictions. 

When  he  reached  home,  he  found  all  quiet  and  the  servants 
in  bed;  but  his  faithful  old  dog  Eover  came  out  scampering 
and  barking  to  see  him,  which  aroused  old  Uncle  Joe  and 
Aunt  Lizzie,  the  two  faithful  black  servants  who  had  been  in 
the  service  of  the  Vernons  all  their  lives,  and  their  parents 
before  them,  having  been  slaves  of  James'  forefathers. 


18  THE  MERCHANT   OF  MT.    VERNON. 

Uncle  Joe  met  him  at  the  door,  exclaiming,  "  My  goodness, 
Marse  James !  we  suah  didn't  expect  to  see  you  home  at  dis 
time.  Here  you,  Lizzie,"  he  called  out  to  his  spouse,  "  get  up 
dis  berry  minute.  De  young  marse  has  done  come  home 
again." 

There  was  no  need  to  call  Aunt  Lizzie,  however,  for  she 
knew  the  footfall  of  her  young  master  as  does  the  mother  that 
of  her  own  child.  She  had  been  his  nurse  in  childhood,  and, 
although  black,  no  more  loving  heart  ever  beat  in  the  bosom 
of  woman  than  in  the  breast  of  this  faithful,  loving  old  colored 
woman. 

She  watched  him  grow  to  almost  young  manhood  with  a 
pride  that  was  almost  idolatry. 

Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Lizzie  were  the  only  servants  left  on 
the  plantation  out  of  over  twenty  that  had  been  kept  by  James7 
father.  The  rest  had  all  been  sold  by  his  Uncle  Thomas. 

Uncle  Joe's  and  Aunt  Lizzie's  married  daughter  and  her 
husband  had  been  among  the  number. 

They  were  taken  to  Mississippi  by  a  planter  to  toil  their 
lives  away  under  a  hot  tropical  sun,  with  no  hopes  of  the 
future,  and  when  they  should  become  too  old  for  further  ser- 
vice be  turned  out  as  a  worthless  horse  which  has  outlived  its 
usefulness. 

The  parting  of  Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Lizzie  from  their 
daughter  had  been  a  most  bitter  one,  although  belonging  to  a 
race  forever  debarred  from  the  inner  circles  of  society  by  the 
laws  of  nature,  the  parting  was  none  the  less  hard,  not  know- 
ing whether  they  would  ever  be  able  to  see  or  communicate 
with  each  other  again  in  life. 

What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  those  poor,  helpless 
black  creatures,  sold  into  bondage  to  first  one  master  and 
then  another ! 

It  is  true  that  they  had  a  good  home  and  were  happy  and 
contented  as  slaves  on  the  Vernon  plantation,  but  this  very 
fact  would  make  it  so  much  the  harder  when  they  fell  into 


OFF   FOR  THE   WAR.  19 

the  hands  of  masters  less  merciful  than  James'  forefathers 
had  been. 

But  I  am  wandering  from  my  subject,  and,  with  the  readers 
kind  permission,  we  shall  leave  our  hero  to  repose  until  morn- 
ing, when  we  again  find  him  wending  his  way  back  over  the 
same  road  traversed  the  night  before. 

On  reaching  Colonel  Green's  home,  he  was  at  once  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  that  friend  whom  he  was  now  about  to 
lose  through  the  fortunes  of  war.  The  Colonel  opened  the 
conversation  by  alluding  to  the  forthcoming  struggle  and 
making  plans,  and  in  them  he  already  had  the  Yankees 
routed  out  and  Jefferson  Davis  installed  as  president  of  the 
whole  American  continent. 

"  My  boy,  we  will  wipe  them  off  the  face  of  the  earth  in  six 
months'  time,"  he  exclaimed,  warming  up  to  his  subject.  "  I 
shall  organize  a  regiment,  and  you  shall  be  captain. 

"  0,  I  tell  you  I  am  growing  young  again  amidst  all  this 
excitement.  Abe  Lincoln  will  soon  be  a  back  number,  and 
I  should  not  be  a  bit  surprised  to  see  you  become  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  Confederate  forces  before  the  end  of  the 
war." 

"I  hope  nothing  so  disastrous  as  that  will  happen  me," 
said  James,  slowly. 

"  What's  that !  what's  that !  "  shouted  the  Colonel,  spring- 
ing to  his  feet  instantly.  "  You  must  have  misunderstood  me, 
my  boy.  I  said  you  may  become  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Confederate  forces  before  this  war  ends." 

"I  heard  perfectly  well  what  you  said,  my  more  than 
friend,"  said  James,  slowly,  "  but  I  cannot  fight  on  the  side 
you  wish  me  to." 

"  You  cannot  fight  on  the  side  I  want  you  to !  "  repeated  the 
Colonel,  evidently  unable  to  comprehend  the  full  import  of 
James'  speech. 

"  Colonel,  you  have  been  both  father  and  mother  to  me," 
said  James,  sorrowfully,  "  and  it  grieves  me  more  than  you 


20  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.   VERNON. 

can  imagine  to  speak  the  words  which  I  fear  will  make  you 
my  mortal  enemy  for  life." 

"  Your  enemy  I  can  never  be/'  said  the  Colonel,  interrupt- 
ing him.  But  James  gently  laid  his  hand  on  the  old  man's 
shoulder,  and  with  as  few  words  as  possible  told  him  of  his 
resolution  to  fight  for  the  Union. 

"  My  boy,  you  cannot  mean  what  you  say ! "  he  said,  like 
one  in  a  dream.  "  That  you,  above  all  men  on  the  face  of 
the  earth,  should  become  a  traitor  to  your  State  I  cannot,  will 
not,  believe." 

"Nevertheless,  it  is  true,"  said  James,  gently,  but  firmly. 
"  My  ideas  of  right  and  wrong  differ  from  yours,  and  I  must 
act  as  my  conscience  dictates." 

"  Think  it  over,  my  boy !  Think  what  it  means  to  you,  think 
what  it  means  to  us  all!  Jessie  is  the  worst  little  rebel  in 
Culpepper,  and  should  she  even  so  much  as  suspect  that  you 
have  given  one  kind  thought  to  the  North,  she  would  denounce 
you  as  a  coward  and  a  traitor." 

A  vision  of  Jessie  as  she  had  stood  before  him  only  a  few 
hours  before  in  all  her  loveliness  and  purity,  counselling  him 
to  act  as  his  conscience  dictated,  arose  before  his  eyes,  and  a 
half-sad  smile  arose  to  his  lips  unobserved  by  the  Colonel, 
who  as  yet  could  not  fully  master  the  complete  surprise  that 
had  overtaken  him.  But  presently  the  storm  would  break, 
as  James  well  knew,  and  what  the  outcome  would  be  James 
was  at  a  loss  to  know. 

"  I  would  act  as  my  conscience  directed  me  to  act  toward 
my  country  and  my  God  regardless  of  the  whole  world,"  said 
James. 

"  Even  your  love  for  Jessie  cannot  alter  your  determination 
to  become  a  traitor  ?  "  said  the  Colonel,  now  white  with  sup- 
pressed anger. 

"  No,"  said  James.  "  Nothing  on  earth  can  alter  or  change 
my  determination  to  act  as  I  think  right." 

"  Then  hear  me,  you  cowardly  traitor !  If  I  had  the  power, 
I  would  have  you  swing  from  the  nearest  tree  as  an  example 


OFF   FOR   THE   WAR.  21 

to  all  other  traitors  to  their  country.  I  could  forgive  or  over- 
look anything  you  have  done  except  that  you  should  turn 
traitor." 

"  Jessie,  oh  Jessie ! "  he  called  in  a  loud  voice,  vibrating 
with  passion.  "  Come  here." 

Jessie,  who  had  been  close  by,  answered  the  summons 
instantly,  walking  into  the  room  and  glancing  from  the  con- 
vulsively-working face  of  her  grandfather  to  that  of  her  pale, 
but  calm,  lover. 

Before  anyone  else  could  speak,  the  Colonel  burst  forth 
in  a  torrent  of  words,  exclaiming,  "  Look  at  the  face  of  the 
man  whom  you  love  and  whom  I  have  loved  as  a  son !  Do  you 
not  see  the  stamp  of  traitor  on  his  brow?  He  has  "had  the 
effrontery  to  tell  me  to  my  very  face  that  he  will  fight  for  the 
North,  regardless  of  what  I  or  what  you  or  what  the  whole 
world  says,  for  that  matter !  Jessie,  I  command  you  to  drive 
him  from  your  presence  as  you  would  a  rattlesnake,  as  a 
thing  to  be  abhorred,  to  be  shunned  by  all  mankind,  for  of 
all  the  most  contemptible  things  on  God's  green  earth,  a 
coward  and  traitor  is  the  greatest." 

"  James  a  coward  and  a  traitor !  That  I  will  never  believe 
as  long  as  God  gives  me  the  strength  and  reasoning  power  to 
believe  otherwise,"  said  Jessie,  throwing  her  arms  about 
James'  neck. 

"Wait  a  minute,  you  jade,"  said  the  Colonel,  wrathfully; 
* '  for,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  he  will  with  his  own  mouth  con- 
demn himself." 

"  What  he  would  say  would  make  no  difference  in  my  eyes," 
she  said,  calmly,  "  £or  we  met  in  the  road  last  night,  and  I 
know  all; — know  of  his  manly  resolution  to  act  as  his  con- 
science directs  him,  even  though  by  so  doing  he  loses  all — 
home,  friends,  and  everything  that  is  dear  to  him." 

"  You  have  met  him  and  still  cling  to  him,  after  all  he  has 
told  us  both !  You  little  jade !  I  will  have  you  locked  up  in 
an  insane  asylum.  I  forbid  you  ever  seeing  or  speaking  with 
him  again !  How  dare  you  disobey  me  before  my  very  face  ?  " 


22  THE  MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON". 

said  the  angry  Colonel,  pounding  on  the  floor  with  his  heavy 
cane,  an  article  he  invariably  carried  with  him. 

"I  dare  do  anything  for  the  man  I  love.  It  is  the  spirit 
of  the  grandfather  in  the  bosom  of  his  granddaughter  that 
now  defies  you.  Hear  me,  and  then  turn  me  out  if  you  will.  I 
swear  to  be  true  and  loyal  to  my  lover  until  he  shall  come  to 
claim  me  as  his  wife,  and  I  pray  that  no  bullet  cut  short  the 
life  of  my  betrothed  husband ! "  exclaimed  Jessie,  her  cheeks 
flushed  and  her  eyes  sparkling. 

James  could  hardly  repress  the  mad  desire  to  seize  her  in 
his  arms  and  carry  her  away  from  her  old  bear  of  a  grand- 
father. 

"  I  will  not  turn  you  out,  you  crafty  jade,  for  that  is  doubt- 
less just  what  you  want  me  to  do,  so  you  could  fly  to  the  arms 
of  your  traitor  lover,  and  you  would  be  man  and  wife  before 
nightfall/'  said  the  old  man,  fairly  quivering  with  rage  and 
mortification,  for  in  all  her  sweet,  young  life  Jessie  had  never 
spoken  thus  to  him  before.  "  No,  miss,"  he  resumed.  "  I  for- 
bid you  to  leave  this  house  until  this  young  traitor  has  shaken 
the  dust  of  Culpepper  from  his  shoes/' 

"  You  need  not  do  that,  sir,"  said  James.  "  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  as  a  gentleman  that  I  will  neither  seek  nor 
speak  to  Jessie  again  before  my  departure,  which  will  be  but 
a  few  short  hours  at  most.  We  planned  a  meeting  down  by 
the  spring,  but  that  we  will  forego." 

"  If  I  had  my  way,  I  would  have  you  court-martialed  and 
hanged,"  said  the  Colonel,  grimly,  but  somewhat  mollified; 
for  he  well  knew  that  James  would  keep  his  word. 

James  turned  to  go,  and  the  Colonel,  as  a  parting  shot,  said : 
"  I  shall  go  to  Culpepper  this  very  afternoon  and  change  my 
will.  I  intended  to  leave  everything  I  possessed  to  Jessie 
and  yourself;  but,  now  that  you  both  defy  me,  I  will  cut 
you  both  out  of  my  will  entirely  if  you  ever  dare  to  marry 
against  my  wishes." 

James  made  no  reply  to  this  last  unkind  threat,  but  hur- 


OFF   FOR   THE   WAR.  23 

riedly  took  his  leave  for  home  after  kissing  Jessie  and  Mrs. 
Green  good-bye. 

As  the  door  closed  behind  the  form  of  the  young  man  whom 
he  loved  as  a  son,  Colonel  Green  quickly  made  his  way  to  his 
own  room,  for  he  was  about  to  break  down,  and  he  would 
rather  have  died  than  have  shown  one  particle  of  weakness 
before  Jessie  or  his  wife. 

Secretly  he  respected  the  young  man  for  the  stand  he  had 
taken,  well  knowing  that  James  acted  conscientiously;  but 
he  had  given  his  word  that  he  would  alter  his  will,  and  it  was 
his  intention  to  do  so,  but  at  the  same  -time  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  change  it  back  to  the  original  to  the  first  opportunity 
and  leave  everything  to  them  with  his  blessing  and  best  wishes. 

Ah,  foolish  old  man!  Could  you  but  have  foreseen  the 
events  that  were  about  to  transpire  in  the  future,  you  would 
not  have  been  so  hasty  to  have  the  family  carriage  take  you 
to  Culpepper.  Instead,  you  would  have  hastened  to  the  home 
of  the  young  man  you  had  driven  forth  friendless  and  alone 
and  humbly  begged  his  pardon  for  the  wrong  you  had  done 
him. 

On  reaching  home,  James  immediately  packed  up  what  few 
belongings  he  wished  to  take  with  him,  gave  Uncle  Joe  and 
Aunt  Lizzie  what  instructions  he  considered  necessary  regard- 
ing the  plantation,  and  once  more  turned  his  face  toward 
Culpepper  and  what  the  future  held  in  store  for  him. 

As  he  passed  by  the  Colonel's  plantation,  he  looked  up 
toward  a  certain  window  of  the  second  story  of  the  old  mansion 
and  saw  a  white  handkerchief  fluttering  in  token  of  farewell. 
He  kissed  his  hand  in  return,  and  resolutely  turned  toward 
Culpepper  again. 

On  reaching  the  village,  almost  the  first,  person  he  met  was 
the  Colonel,  who  passed  by  with  his  head  tilted  high  in  the 
air,  pretending  not  to  see  him. 

He  barely  had  time  to  transact  what  little  business 
was  necessary  before  the  toot  of  the  horn  was  sounded  at  the 


24  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VEBNON. 

hotel,  announcing  time  had  arrived  for  the  departure  of  the 
stage. 

Hastily  scrambling  into  the  only  remaining  vacant  seat,  he 
was  soon  rolling  over  the  old  turnpike  toward  the  North  once 
more. 


CHAPTER  II. 


James  barely  reached  the  Northern  States  before  the  call 
for  troops  began.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist,  going  into 
the  service  as  a  private  soldier  in  a  New  York  regiment,  but 
before  the  end  of  the  first  year's  service  he  was  given  a  com- 
mission as  second  lieutenant,  and  in  the  second  year  he  was 
raised  to  captain.  It  was  while  holding  this  commission  that 
his  regiment  came  in  contact  with  that  of  Colonel  Green,  who 
joined  the  rebel  forces  at  the  beginning  of  hostilities. 

The  battle  had  been  a  long,  fierce  one.  The  rebels  were 
driven  back  from  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  and  the  ground 
was  strewn  with  the  bodies  of  the  dead  and  dying  blue  and 
graycoats. 

James  was  the  first  to  reach  the  summit  of  the  hill,  but 
little  did  he  dream  of  the  terrible  cost  of  that  victory. 

Night  fell  as  a  welcome  boon  to  both  armies,  who  imme- 
diately began  to  look  after  the  dead  and  wounded  as  soon  as 
hostilities  ceased. 

James  was  walking  among  the  slain  and  fallen,  doing  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  save  a  life  or  soothe  the  pain  of  some 
of  his  faithful  followers,  when,  to  his  horror,  he  saw  the  blood- 
stained face  of  Colonel  Green  lying  among  the  victims.  In 
the  bloody  upturned  face  was  the  stamp  of  death,  but  con- 
sciousness still  held  sway,  and  he  recognized  James  at  once. 

"  'Tis  the  fortune  of  war,  my  boy,"  he  said,  in  a  husky  voice 
in  which  no  trace  of  anger  or  resentment  lingered. 

Kneeling  beside  the  prostrate  form  of  the  Colonel,  James 
raised  the  gray  head  in  his  strong  young  arms. 

"  My  boy,  I  am  going,"  he  said.  "  Take  good  care  of  Jessie 
and  the  little  mother  at  home.  Both  are  waiting  and  longing 
for  our  return  ;  but  the  fortunes  of  war  have  decreed  that  at 
least  one  of  us  shall  never  live  to  see  those  two  beloved  ones 

26 


26  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

again.  Tell  them  that  with  my  last  breath  I  forgave  you,,  and 
that  it  was  my  dying  wish  you  might  be  united  to  the  faith- 
ful little  girl  who  defied  her  old  grandfather  for  your  sake. 
Gad ! "  he  exclaimed,  the  memory  of  her  defiant  retorts  com- 
ing back  to  his  fast-failing  memory.  "How  beautiful  she 
looked  when  defending  you  against  what  I  now  know  to  be 
my  unjust  taunts !  She  is  a  true  granddaughter  of  her  stub- 
born old  granddaddy." 

Here  he  fainted  from  loss  of  blood,  and  James,  calling  some 
guards,  had  him  laid  tenderly  upon  a  stretcher  and  carried  to 
his  own  quarters,  where  a  physician  was  summoned  and 
declared  that  the  patient  had  but  a  short  time  to  live. 

A  shell  had  burst  just  in  front  of  him,  and  a  fragment  had 
penetrated  a  vital  part.  Under  the  skillful  work  of  the  doc- 
tor, the  patient  soon  regained  consciousness,  but  it  was  the 
consciousness  that  precedes  death. 

He  weakly  motioned  James  to  bend  over  him. 

"  What  is  it,  father  ?  "  he  asked,  unable  to  steady  his  voice. 

The  dying  man's  ear  caught  the  word  father,  and  a  pleased 
look  came  over  his  face.  It  was  the  first  time  James  had  ever 
addressed  him  thus. 

"  I  have  always  tried  to  be  a  father  to  you,  my  son,"  he  said, 
weakly,  "  and  I  have  never  done  anything  but  once  that  a 
father  would  not  have  done,  and  if  God  spares  my  life  but  a 
few  moments  longer  I  will  rectify  that." 

"  Do  not  talk  of  worldly  matters  now,  father.  Let  us  talk 
of  ourselves,  of  Jessie  and  the  poor  little  woman  who  will 
watch  for  your  return  in  vain." 

"  I  know,  I  know,  my  boy ;  but  first  I  must  right  a  great 
wrong  I  did  you  and  Jessie  that  unfortunate  day  in  Culpepper. 
Now  do  as  I  bid  you.  The  time  grows  short  for  me  to  live. 
Hasten  and  get  witnesses  and  the  proper  officials,  that  I  may 
change  my  will  while  there  is  yet  time." 

The  doctor  kindly  volunteered  his  services,  saying  there 
was  nothing  else  he  could  do  for  the  injured  man.  But  he 
was  too  late.  The  spirit  of  Colonel  Green  winged  its  flight  to 


THE   SOLDIER.  27 

the  great  beyond  ere  he  could  hasten  back  with  proper 
officials. 

James  managed  to  send  word  to  Jessie  of  the  Colonel's 
death.  She  gently  communicated  the  news  to  her  feeble  old 
grandmother,  who  never  survived  the  shock,  and  in  three 
weeks  after  the  fatal  news  reached  her  she,  too,  was  laid  at 
rest. 

In  the  last  battle  of  the  war  between  the  opposing  forces 
James'  Uncle  Thomas  was  slain.  He  enlisted  as  an  officer  of 
high  rank,  owing  to  his  political  influence,  but,  being  detected 
in  some  underhanded  methods  and  dishonorable  conduct,  he 
was  greatly  reduced  in  rank,  and  his  death  came  as  a  welcome 
boon  to  the  unfortunate  soldiers  who  chanced  to  be  under  his 
authority. 

James  quite  by  accident  heard  of  his  death,  but  it  caused 
him  more  relief  than  sorrow,  for  his  uncle  had  never  shown 
him  a  particle  of  kindness  or  affection  during  his  life,  and 
the  debts  on  the  plantation  caused  by  his  depredations  nearly 
equalled  its  value. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  James  hastened  to  Culpepper  to 
claim  Jessie  as  his  bride. 

The  will  had  long  ago  been  read,  which  was  as  follows : 

"  I,  Harold  Green,  of  Culpepper,  Virginia,  being  of  sound 
mind,  do  solemnly  swear  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  on  this 
day,  March  18th,  1861,  that,  in  the  event  of  my  death,  I  leave 
one-third  of  all  my  wealth  to  Angeline  Green ;  the  other  two- 
thirds  to  my  granddaughter,  Jessie  Hamilton. 

"  If,  however,  my  granddaughter  marries  James  Vernon,  of 
Culpepper,  she  shall  forfeit  all  right  to  my  estate,  and  it 
shall  revert  to  my  wife,  Angeline  Green,  providing  she  does  not 
try  to  dispose  of  it  in  favor  of  my  granddaughter,  Jessie  Ham- 
ilton, or  James  Vernon,  of  Culpepper. 

"  If  my  wife  tries  to  dispose  of  the  estate  in  favor  of  the 
two  above-mentioned  persons,  my  entire  estate  shall  be  given 
to  the  Associated  Charities,  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor 
according  to  the  judgment  of  its  officers." 


28  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

On  learning  of  this  strange  will,  James  and  Jessie  endeav- 
ored to  have  it  broken,  bringing  forward  the  doctor,  who  was 
the  only  person  except  James  who  heard  the  Colonel  say  he 
wished  to  alter  his  will.  The  evidence  was  not  strong  enough, 
however,  and  the  will  could  not  be  broken. 

Jessie  nobly  gave  up  her  inheritance,  and  together  they  went 
to  Michigan,  taking  with  them  the  former  slaves  of  James' 
father,  Uncle  Joe,  Aunt  Lizzie  and  her  daughter  and  son-in- 
law,  who  had  hastened  back  to  Culpepper  at  the  first  opportun- 
ity after  the  close  of  the  war. 

Their  master  in  the  South  had  been  a  most  cruel  one,  and  it 
was  horrible  to  hear  them  recite  the  tales  of  suffering  they 
were  forced  to  undergo. 

They  thanked  God  that  freedom  had  come  at  last ! 


CHAPTEE  III. 

©ff  far  %  Nro 

The  journey  from  Culpepper  to  Michigan  was  a  long  one, 
but  he  had  God's  three  most  precious  gifts  to  man — health, 
hope,  and  the  unfathomable  love  of  a  maiden's  heart,  which 
made  the  journey  seem  short. 

The  distance  had  to  be  covered  with  teams,  each  of  the 
negroes  driving  a  team,  and  James  the  third  one. 

He  had  no  definite  point  in  view,  but  trusted  to  providence 
and  his  six  sturdy  horses  to  carry  him  to  a  country  where  there 
was  more  chance  of  winning  back  the  wealth  he  had  lost. 

The  breadth  of  Virginia  was  slowly  traversed,  and  then 
came  the  muddy  roads  of  Ohio,  where  traveling  was  more  dif- 
ficult and  there  were  fewer  roads.  Several  times  they  missed 
their  way,  traveling  miles  out  of  their  direct  course;  but  it 
mattered  little  to  them.  They  were  enjoying  young  love's  first 
pleasant  dreams,  and  all  roads  had  but  one  destination:  the 
golden  future  to  be  shared  with  each  other. 

Several  times  large  rivers  were  encountered,  but  James' 
experience  in  the  army  taught  him  how  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties of  traveling  in  a  wild,  unsettled  country. 

At  times  they  came  upon  smiling,  cultivated  fields  and 
bustling  little  cities,  and  then  they  would  again  plunge  into 
the  midst  of  seemingly  endless  forests. 

Their  trusty  rifles  supplied  them  with  fresh  meats  at  all 
times,  and  Aunt  Lizzie's  skillful  cooking  always  brought  words 
of  praise  from  both  James'  and  Jessie's  lips. 

Detroit  was  at  last  reached,  and  the  little  caravan  stopped 
for  a  week's  rest.  While  camping  here,  James  heard  of  the 
wonderful  opportunities  offered  in  the  lumber  business  to  any 
who  were  brave  enough  to  face  the  dangers  of  the  forest,  and, 
after  holding  a  consultation  with  Jessie,  it  was  decided  that 
they  would  push  up  north  and  penetrate  the  very  heart  of  the 

29 


30  THE  MERCHANT  OP  MT.  VERNON. 

vast  forests.  Accordingly  they  again  took  up  the  line  of 
march,  finally  reaching  Saginaw  City,  at  that  time  the  Mecca 
of  all  prospective  lumber  men. 

By  dint  of  much  questioning,  he  learned  that  the  best  tim- 
ber lay  along  the  Tidiabassee  and  Chippewa  Eivers,  and,  after 
purchasing  certain  implements  needed  in  the  lumber  woods, 
such  as  axes,  saws,  log  hooks,  etc.,  they  left  Saginaw,  following 
the  west  bank  of  the  Saginaw  Eiver  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Tidiabassee,  thence  up  that  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chip- 
pewa, where  the  river  was  crossed  by  means  of  a  raft. 

From  here  on,  the  most  difficult  traveling  of  their  journey 
was  experienced.  Tangled  vines,  matted  weeds,  huge  trees  and 
underbrush  blocked  their  progress,  and  at  times  they  were 
obliged  to  hew  down  trees.  Where  the  river  was  shallow  and 
sandy-bottomed  they  drove  for  long  stretches  in  its  bed. 

After  a  journey  of  five  days,  they  came  upon  a  veritable 
paradise  in  the  forest.  The  river  at  this  point  formed  over  a 
mile  of  rapids,  winding  around  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe. 
At  the  end  of  the  horse-shoe  several  Indian  huts  peeped  up 
among  the  underbrush,  and  the  Indians  were  lounging  about 
or  fishing  in  the  river;  many  of  the  younger  generation  were 
engaged  in  various  sports,  while  the  women  were  either  cook- 
ing or  carrying  wood  to  their  wigwams  for  domestic  purposes. 

The  little  caravan  approached  within  a  few  rods  of  the 
Indian  encampment  before  they  were  discovered,  but  their 
appearance  seemed  to  create  no  excitement,  much  to  the  sur- 
prise of  James  and  the  two  negroes.  Their  astonishment  was 
still  greater  when  an  Indian  of  giant  stature  approached  and 
addressed  them  in  perfect  English,  asking  them  where  they 
were  going  and  where  they  came  from. 

In  a  short  time  they  were  surrounded  by  men  and  women 
and  children  as  well.  The  wagon  and  negroes  were  evidently 
a  curiosity  to  them,  but  it  was  evident  that  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  the  visits  of  white  men,  for,  after  glancing  carelessly 
at  James  and  Jessie,  their  eyes  wandered  to  the  ebony-colored 
faces  of  the  negroes,  who  brought  up  the  rear. 


OFF  FOR  THE  NEW  HOME.  31 

The  giant  Indian  who  first  addressed  James  spoke  up,  say- 
ing, "  Heap  black  face,  no  wash  for  many  moons."  James 
explained  that  it  was  not  dirt,  but  their  natural  color,  and, 
seeing  his  red  friend  still  look  doubtful,  he  called  Uncle  Joe 
up  where  they  stood  conversing,  and  then,  taking  a  pail,  he 
stepped  down  to  the  river,  but  a  few  feet  distant.  Filling  it 
to  the  brim,,  he  bade  Uncle  Joe  bathe  his  hands  and  face. 

Seeing  that  the  black  did  not  come  off,  the  chief  endeavored 
to  wash  it  off  himself,  and,  finding  he  was  unable  to  do  so,  his 
face  gradually  took  on  a  look  of  fear  and  then  reverence,  and, 
turning  to  his  followers,  he  spoke  rapidly  in  the  Indian 
tongue,  whereupon  the  whole  tribe  grovelled  on  the  ground  in 
front  of  Uncle  Joe,  who  seemed  to  enjoy  his  popularity 
immensely. 

James  burst  into  a  laugh,  saying :  "  Joe,  you  are  their  great 
spirit  now.  They  have  evidently  never  seen  a  black  person 
before,  and  they  think  you  colored  people  have  come  to  them 
as  an  act  of  providence.  By  Jove !  "  he  chuckled,  "  let  them 
think  so,  and  we  shall  have  plain  sailing  from  now  on.  This 
place  just  suits  my  fancy.  These  rapids  will  furnish  power 
enough  to  supply  a  city  as  large  as  New  York.  I  will  buy 
all  the  land  bordering  on  the  rapids,  and  some  day  I  hope  to 
found  a  city  here." 

To  purchase  the  land  from  the  Indians  was  an  easy  matter, 
for,  in  their  eagerness  to  have  the  negroes  remain,  they  offered 
it  for  absolutely  nothing,  but,  being  a  fair-minded  man,  James 
could  not  accept  their  generous  offer,  but  gave  them  nearly  all 
of  the  money  left  from  the  sale  of  the  plantation,  and  got  a 
deed  of  the  land  drawn  up  at  Saginaw, 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

8M|*  3fatfctng  uf  fitttk  Buxbi  on  %  Iferatita 


Mr.  Vernon's  life  in  the  army  well  fitted  him  to  meet  and 
conquer  the  difficulties  in  his  path  in  taking  up  his  home  in 
the  wilderness  of  trees  that  covered  the  heart  of  Michigan  at 
that  time. 

With  the  help  of  the  two  negroes,  he  cut  down  a  small  clear- 
ing in  the  forest  bordering  on  the  river,  and  built  a  substantial 
log  house  and  several  out-buildings.  After  this  had  been 
accomplished,  he  set  to  work  felling  the  giants  of  the  forest 
and  hauling  them  to  the  river. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year,  when  the  ice  broke  and  the  river 
was  at  its  highest  point,  the.  three  men  rolled  the  logs  into 
the  water  and  floated  them  to  Saginaw,  where  they  sold  them 
at  the  various  saw  mills. 

This  proved  to  be  such  a  profitable  business  that  in  a  few 
years  he  was  able  to  buy  more  land  and  hired  large  gangs  of 
men  to  do  the  work  for  him. 

Three  children  blessed  the  union  of  James  and  Jessie. 
Frank,  the  eldest,  was  dark  and  of  a  quick  and  passionate 
nature  and  was  his  father's  most  valuable  assistant  in  business 
matters.  James,  or  Jimmie,  as  he  was  more  familiarly  known, 
was  exactly  opposite  from  Frank  both  in  looks  and  disposi- 
tion. He  had  a  sunny,  careless  way  about  him  that  won 
him  friends  wherever  he  went.  His  sister  Mary,  the  youngest 
of  the  three  children,  was  dark,  like  Frank,  but  had  a  disposi- 
tion more  like  James. 

A  few  days  after  the  birth  of  Mary  a  strange  thing  hap- 
pened. The  family  had  just  retired  for  the  night  one  dark, 
stormy  evening  in  the  month  of  April,  when  a  violent  peal  of 
the  door  bell  aroused  the  whole  household. 

Mr.  Vernon  was  the  first  one  to  reach  the  door,  and  he 
nearly  fell  over  a  small  object  lying  on  the  threshold,  but  the 

32 


THE   FINDING  OF   LITTLE   VIOLET.  33 

person  or  persons  who  rang  the  bell  had  disappeared  as  com- 
pletely as  though  the  earth  had  opened  up  and  swallowed 
them. 

The  object  was  picked  up  and  carried  into  the  house,  and 
when  unwrapped  was  found  to  contain  the  body  of  an  infant 
female  apparently  about  three  weeks  old.  Around  its  neck 
and  suspended  by  a  golden  chain  was  a  beautiful  gold  watch 
of  curious  design  and  of  small  pattern,  evidently  for  a  lady 
to  carry.  On  the  inside  lid  was  engraved  the  letters  "  H.  H. 
to  N.  M.,  Geneva,  May  12,  1859."  A  locket  was  also  attached 
to  the  chain,  and  in  it  was  the  photograph  of  a  gloriously 
beautiful  woman,  apparently  about  twenty-four  years  of  age. 
The  clear-cut  features  of  the  lady  bore  the  unmistakable  marks 
of  good  breeding  and  refinement.  The  broad,  white  forehead, 
the  expressive  eyes,  the  mobile  mouth  and  firmly-chiseled  chin 
gave  to  her  face  a  look  of  firmness  and  resolution.  The  face 
was  decidedly  an  English  one,  and  if  appearances  counted  for 
anything,  she  belonged  to  the  upper  walks  of  life. 

The  watch  and  locket  containing  the  photograph  was  the 
only  evidence  left  by  which  to  trace  the  parentage  of  the 
child.  Every  effort  was  made  to  locate  them,  but  without 
avail,  and  the  child  was  finally  legally  adopted  into  the 
family. 

The  little  stranger  and  Mr.  Yemen's  daughter  were  nearly 
the  same  age,  and  they  grew  up  as  sisters.  The  affection 
between  the  two  girls  was  very  touching.  The  little  stranger 
was  of  a  loving,  clinging  disposition,  and  that  of  Mr.  Yernon's 
daughter  Mary  free  and  independent,  which  accounted  for 
their  close  friendship.  As  unlike  in  looks  as  in  disposition, 
they  made  a  pretty  picture  when  together,  the  golden  locks 
of  little  Violet — for  such  they  named  her — mingling  with  the 
dark  tresses  of  Mary,  made  a  picture  that  would  have  delighted 
the  eyes  of  an  artist. 

But,  let  us  return  once  more  to  Mr.  Yernon  before  we  drop 
him  out  of  this  tale  as  a  principal.  We  left  him  in  the  lumber 
business,  in  which  he  was  fast  growing  rich. 


34  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

A  small  saw  mill  was  constructed,  a  number  of  cottages 
were  built,  and  a  small,  but  busy,  little  village  sprang  up. 
He  started  a  general  supply  store,  bringing  his  goods  up  the 
river  either  by  raft  or  by  wagon,  the  latter  way  being  much 
more  difficult.  There  were  as  yet  no  regular  highways  pene- 
trating the  dense  forests. 

After  the  store  was  opened,  other  business  enterprises  were 
launched,  and  in  a  few  years  enough  business  was  transacted 
to  warrant  the  building  of  a  bank.  Mr.  Vernon  was  elected 
president,  and  a  short  time  later,  when  the  Ann  Arbor  Kail- 
road  built  through  the  place,  it  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  and 
he  was  chosen  mayor,  and  the  name  changed  from  that  of 
Long  Kapids  to  Mt.  Vernon,  in  honor  of  the  man  who,  by 
hard  work  and  perseverance,  converted  the  place  from  a  virgin- 
forest  to  a  bustling  little  city,  with  noisy  mill  wheels  and 
screaming  steam  whistles. 

Mr.  Vernon's  two  sons  were  always  the  best  of  friends 
while  young,  although  the  tastes  of  each  were  entirely  differ- 
ent. Frank  preferred  the  companionship  of  books  and  older 
persons,  while  James'  greatest  delight  in  life  consisted  of 
rambling  about  the  woods  with  his  dog  and  gun,  or  going  down 
to  the  river  with  a  number  of  companions,  where  he  generally 
managed  to  fall  into  the  water,  thereby  getting  a  spanking 
upon  reaching  home. 

At  school  he  was  acknowledged  the  champion  of  all  athletic 
contests.  In  fact,  he  took  more  interest  in  a  wrestling  bout 
or  a  football  game  than  he  did  in  his  studies,  and  as  a  result 
he  was  often  at  the  foot  of  his  class. 

And  so  time  passed  on. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

frnm 


Toward  the  end  of  one  school  term,  when  James  was  about 
the  age  of  fifteen,  a  base-ball  game  was  arranged  to  take  place 
between  the  high  school  students  and  the  basket  factory  team, 
a  local  organization. 

The  principal  of  the  school  hated  sports  of  all  kinds,  and 
took  particular  pains  on  all  occasions  to  spoil  a  game  of  any- 
kind. 

Eor  the  convenience  of  the  factory  boys,  the  game  was  sched- 
uled to  take  place  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  the  students 
obtained  permission  from  the  school  board  to  hold  a  half  holi- 
day to  celebrate  the  occasion.  The  principal,  however,  had 
other  views,  and  insisted  on  holding  a  lengthy  examination 
on  that  particular  day.  The  morning  passed  very  well,  but 
when  afternoon  came  not  a  student  was  to  be  seen  anywhere, 
but  shouts  on  the  ball  ground  a  half  mile  away  were  evidence 
enough  to  inform  the  old  crab  that  his  attempt  to  spoil  the 
game  had  failed.  He  retaliated,  however,  by  marking  down 
the  average  of  each  student,  James  in  particular,  for  he  was 
always  at  the  head  of  every  enterprise  where  there  was  a  con- 
test involved. 

The  professor  took  a  hearty  dislike  to  James  from  the  first, 
which  the  latter  returned  with  interest,  and  he  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  annoy  or  disturb  the  old  crank  when  an  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself.  The  relations  between  himself  and 
the  students  had  been  strained  before,  but  they  were  ready 
to  burst  into  open  rebellion  now  at  any  moment. 

A  consultation  was  held  among  the  students,  and  various 
ways  were  discussed  whereby  they  might  play  even.  Many 
plans  were  suggested,  but  none  seemed  feasible,  until  the 
fertile  brain  of  Frank  hit  upon  the  plan  of  putting  tacks  into 

35 


36  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

his  chair,  which  was  a  heavy  piece  of  oak  furniture,  with  a 
solid  bottom. 

The  professor,  who  was  a  little  near-sighted,  always  sat 
down  in  his  chair  with  a  plump  that  was  audible  all  over  the 
school-room.  The  fact  that  he  was  near-sighted  and  sat  down 
so  heavily  is  no  doubt  what  caused  Frank  to  think  of  this  idea. 

A  piece  of  leather,  nearly  the  full  size  of  the  chair  bottom, 
was  obtained  at  a  shoe  shop,  and  a  whole  box  of  tacks  were 
driven  through  this  leather,  with  their  points  sticking  upward 
toward  the  heavens. 

The  next  thing  to  be  done  was  to  find  a  way  to  put  it  in  the 
chair  without  being  detected,  and  a  committee  was  chosen  to 
make  a  midnight  excursion  to  the  school  house,  where  they 
raised  a  window  and  made  their  way  to  the  upper  floors,  and 
the  leather,  with  its  rows  upon  rows  of  sharp  tacks,  was  placed 
in  the  chair. 

The  next  morning  all  was  expectancy.  The  professor,  con- 
trary to  his  usual  custom,  stood  up  during  the  opening  exer- 
cises. Becoming  interested  in  a  certain  lesson  which  did  not 
interest  the  scholars  in  the  least,  he  endeavored  to  pound  its 
fundamental  principles  in  their  unwilling  minds. 

The  forenoon  wore  its  weary  length  nearly  through  before 
the  professor  showed  any  inclination  to  sit  down.  He  seemed 
to  have  forgotten  all  about  his  comfortable  chair. 

The  scholars  were  unusually  dull,  and  he  finally  gave  it 
up  in  disgust,  for  their  notes  were  so  badly  muddled  up  that 
James  actually  wrote  the  word  tacks  in  his  composition. 

With  a  grunt  of  disgust,  he  finally  threw  himself  down  in 
the  chair  with  unusual  vigor.  But,  ye  gods !  what  a  sit-down 
that  was,  for,  with  a  yell  of  pain  and  rage,  he  leaped  high  into 
the  air,  both  hands  tightly  grasping  the  seat  of  his  unmention- 
ables ;  the  leather  stuck  tight  to  its  place,  no  doubt  held  there 
by  the  sharp  points  of  the  tacks. 

With  many  a  wriggle  and  exclamation  that  did  not  sound 
exactly  right  in  a  school-room,  he  finally  extracted  the  offens- 
ive piece  of  leather  and  its  complicated  pieces  of  machinery 
from  his  person. 


EXPELLED  FROM   SCHOOL.  37 

The  faces  of  all  the  students  were  convulsed  with  laughter, 
but  some  unknown  impulse  prompted  him  to  place  all  the 
blame  on  the  innocent  head  of  James,  for,  with  a  roar  of  rage, 
he  made  straight  for  the  boy.  Not  for  nought  was  he  called 
the  best  athlete  in  the  school,  for,  seeing  the  blind  rage  of  the 
professor,  he  knew  that  to  tamely  submit  to  him  meant  to  be 
beaten  up  in  a  manner  not  good  for  his  future  appearance  or 
constitution.  Before  the  infuriated  man  could  reach  him, 
James  arose  from  his  seat,  and,  with  a  well-directed  blow,  he 
sent  the  man  sprawling  in  the  aisle. 

The  professor  was  up  in  an  instant,  and  now,  fairly  mad 
with  rage,  made  another  lunge  at  the  boy,  who  met  him  in 
exactly  the  same  manner,  and  with  more  telling  effect,  for 
this  time  he  seemed  to  be  a  little  dazed  and  did  not  get  up 
quite  so  quickly.  When  he  did  rise,  he  was  more  cautious,  and 
advanced  with  the  intention  of  grappling  with  his  youthful 
antagonist,  but  here  again  he  was  surprised,  for  James,  seeing 
that  he  could  not  avoid  him,  and  being  the  shorter  of  the  two, 
he  caught  the  professor  around  the  waist,  securing  the  under- 
hold,  and  then  issued  a  struggle  between  man  and  boy  that 
was  terrific,  for  both  were  now  thoroughly  enraged,  although 
James  kept  his  head  with  a  coolness  that  would  have  done 
credit  to  a  veteran  of  the  prize  ring,  watching  every  opportun- 
ity for  an  advantage  over  his  antagonist. 

The  great  bulk  and  strength  of  the  professor  were  strained 
to  their  utmost,  but  it  seemed  to  avail  nothing  against  the 
unaccountable  agility  of  the  young  giant  whom  he  was  endeav- 
oring to  crush.  Backward  and  forward  they  swayed,  the 
impetus  of  their  exertions  carrying  them  out  to  the  center  of 
the  floor. 

Never  before  had  such  wrestling  been  witnessed,  even  in 
the  city  gymnasium,  where  the  brawny  sons  of  the  woods  were 
wont  to  gather  when  in  the  city  and  hold  boxing  and  wrestling 
contests. 

The  professor,  who  had  been  a  famous  athlete  at  college, 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  none  of  the  old  tricks  of  the  game, 


38  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

and  tried  them  all,  but  was  met  at  every  point  by  the  young 
athlete,  who  now  seemed  to  be  gaining  a  slight  advantage. 

With  a  supreme  effort,  the  professor  forced  his  opponent 
backward  until  James'  sunny  curls  nearly  swept  the  floor,  but 
just  as  it  seemed  as  though  the  superior  weight  and  bulk  of 
the  professor  was  about  to  conquer  a  strange  thing  happened, 
so  quickly  that  none  were  quite  able  to  see  exactly  how  it  was 
done,  but  James  was  seen  to  suddenly  loosen  his  hold  and, 
swiftly  slipping  from  beneath  his  enemy,  he  was  up  quick  as 
a  flash,  and,  seizing  his  opponent  by  the  collar  and  the  middle, 
he  was  seen  to  raise  him  high  in  the  air  above  his  head  and 
then,  with  a  mighty  effort,  the  body  of  the  professor  flew 
through  the  air  and  struck  with  a  sickening  thud  against  the 
wall,  where  he  lay  as  though  dead,  with  the  blood  flowing  from 
a  cut  in  his  head. 

The  motions  of  the  two  had  been  so  fast  and  furious  that 
none  seemed  to  think  of  interfering,  but  now  that  it  was  all 
over  a  score  or  more  hastened  to  the  side  of  the  professor,  none 
quicker  than  James  when  he  saw  the  consequences  of  his  act. 
A  dozen  ran  for  water,  which  was  dashed  in  his  face,  but  with- 
out avail,  and  a  doctor  was  finally  summoned,  who  worked  over 
him  for  several  hours  before  restoring  his  patient  to  con- 
sciousness. 

He  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  several  days,  and  then  a  con- 
sultation was  held  by  the  Board  of  Education,  and  James  was 
dismissed  from  school.  Frank  was  the  student  who  had  placed 
the  tacks  in  the  professor's  chair,  but  he  was  to  graduate  in 
a  few  weeks,  and  immediately  after  he  was  to  become  cashier 
of  the  Mt.  Vernon  Savings  Bank,  and,  rather  than  see  him 
expelled  from  school  in  disgrace  and  endanger  his  future  pros- 
pects, James  nobly  took  all  the  blame  of  the  affair  upon  his 
own  shoulders,  thereby  stopping  any  further  inquiries  into  the 
matter. 

After  being  expelled  from  school,  James  was  employed  as 
a  lumber  sealer  by  his  father,  and  Frank  became  cashier  at 


EXPELLED  FROM  SCHOOL.  39 

the  bank  a  few  weeks  after  graduating  from  the  Mt.  Vernon 
High  School. 

Violet  and  Mary  made  many  trips  with  James  to  the  various 
logging  camps,  sometimes  both  accompanying  him;  at  other 
times  only  one  would  go  with  him. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  perfect  harmony  in  the 
Vernon  household,  but  soon  after  the  boys  left  school  the 
sharp  eyes  of  Mrs.  Vernon  detected  the  growing  love  of  both 
boys  for  Violet. 

Frank  managed  to  conceal  his  real  feelings  from  all  except 
Mrs.  Vernon,  but  James'  frank,  open  nature  could  be  easily 
read  by  every  one  almost  as  soon  as  he  became  conscious  of 
it  himself,  and  Violet  seemed  to  return  his  af  ectiom 


CHAPTER  VI. 

against 

Frank  was  a  true  Southerner,  both  in  looks  and  disposition, 
and  all  his  hot  southern  nature  was  aroused  when  he  saw  the 
love  they  bore  each  other. 

Seeking  the  first  opportunity,  he  asked  Violet  to  become  his 
wife.  She  was  sitting  in  an  old  grape  arbor  in  the  grounds, 
and  gently,  but  firmly  refused  him.  Losing  all  control  of 
himself,  he  grasped  her  in  his  arms,  swearing  that  unless  she 
consented  lo  marry  him,  he  would  end  both  their  lives,  and, 
in  his  mad  jealousy  and  passion,  would  probably  have  made 
good  his  threat  had  not  James  come  along,  most  opportunely. 

Being  of  an  honest  and  trusting  character  himself,  he 
never  dreamed  that  Frank  cared  for  her  aught  except  as  a 
sister;  but  the  scared  and  agitated  look  on  Violet's  face  and 
the  positively  murderous  one  on  Frank's  caused  the  scales 
to  drop  from  his  eyes  and  the  truth  lay  revealed. 

With  a  muttered  curse,  Frank  released  her  and  strode  away, 
leaving  James  and  Violet  alone  together.  He  well  knew  that 
he  would  be  a  mere  toy  in  the  hands  of  his  younger  brother, 
should  it  come  to  a  test  of  physical  strength. 

" Did  he  frighten  you,  Violet?  "  he  asked,  tenderly,  putting 
his  arm  around  her  in  a  brotherly  way. 

"  Yes/'  she  replied,  tremblingly.  "  He  frightened  me  ter- 
ribly/' 

"  What  did  he  say  to  you  ?  "  asked  James. 

"  0,  don't  ask  me !  "  she  sobbed.  "  I  must  go  away  from 
here  immediately,  for  I  fear  something  dreadful  may  happen 
if  I  remain  here  another  day." 

"  Nonsense,"  said  James,  in  a  voice  that  sounded  much  more 
confident  than  he  really  felt.  "  This  little  storm  will  soon 
blow  over." 

40 


BEOTHER  AGAINST  BROTHER.  41 

"  0  you  do  not  know  all,  or  you  would  not  speak  so  lightly 
of  the  matter." 

"  Has  he  dared  to —  "  began  James  in  a  voice  hoarse  with 
passion. 

It  was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  seen  the  light-hearted 
James  really  angry  or  excited,  although  she  was  accustomed 
to  the  outbursts  of  temper  on  the  part  of  Frank.  She  began 
to  see  there  was  a  strength  of  character  beneath  the  surface  of 
James'  careless  nature  that  she  had  not  dreamed  of.  His 
teeth  came  together  with  a  click,  and  his  muscular  hands 
clinched  together  until  the  nails  sunk  far  into  the  flesh. 

"  No !  no !  it  is  not  that,  James/'  she  said,  proudly,  in  an 
injured  voice. 

"  Forgive  me,  little  one ;  I  am  so  wrought  up  that  I  know 
not  what  I  am  saying/"' 

"  You  must  promise  me  that  you  will  seek  no  trouble  with 
your  brother  for  my  sake  nor  on  my  account,"  she  said, 
earnestly,  clinging  to  his  arm. 

A  twinge  of  jealousy  shot  through  James'  usually  just  mind, 
and  he  retorted,  "  Are  you  afraid  your  lover  will  get  hurt  ?  " 

"  That  is  not  like  you,  James,"  she  said,  quietly.  "  You 
know  that  your  brother  would  be  nothing  in  your  hands,  and 
you  know  full  well  that  I  know  it  also.  It  is  for  both  your 
sakes  that  I  seek  your  promise.  Remember  your  mother.  It 
would  break  her  heart  to  know  that  anything  had  happened  to 
make  you  two  enemies,  and  it  would  kill  me  to  know  that  I 
was  the  cause  of  making  the  sons  of  my  kind  benefactress 
enemies." 

She  was  gazing  up  into  his  eyes  so  piteously,  her  beautiful 
eyes  wet  with  dew,  her  pretty  lips  parted,  showing  a  row  of 
pearly  teeth,  and  the  vision  aroused  all  the  pent-up  love  and 
passion  of  his  heart,  and,  bending  down,  he  caught  her  in  his 
arms,  raining  sweet  kisses  on  her  beautiful,  upturned  face. 
This  time  she  did  not  seek  to  draw  away,  and,  throwing  her 
arms  about  his  neck,  she  clung  to  him.  But  there  was  a  rude 
interruption  at  this  point. 


42         .   THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VEENON. 

Frank  strode  away,  leaving  the  pair  alone  in  the  grape 
arbor,  but  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  them,  for,  turning  around  in 
a  circle,  he  made  his  way  back  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
arbor  and  stood  where  he  could  see  and  hear  all  that  took  place 
within.  On  witnessing  the  scene  just  described,  he  lost  all 
control  of  himself,  and,  seizing  an  old  rusty  axe,  he  rushed 
upon  the  two  unsuspecting  persons  within.  His  foot  chanced 
to  strike  against  an  empty  gasolene  can,  overturning  it  and 
causing  it  to  fall  with  a  crash. 

On  hearing  the  noise,  James  released  Violet  and  turned 
just  in  time  to  catch  the  swiftly-descending  blade  aimed  at 
his  head.  Should  the  blow  have  fallen  it  would  have  cleft 
him  to  the  chin.  Seizing  the  handle,  he  wrenched  it  from  his 
maddened  brother's  grasp,  and  flung  it  far  from  the  arbor. 
But  the  other  was  mad  with  fury,  and  flung  himself  against 
James  with  his  whole  strength. 

He  might  as  well  have  tried  to  throw  down  one  of  the  giant 
oaks  standing  near  the  arbor.  Seizing  him  by  the  collar  and 
the  middle,  James  swung  him  off  his  feet  and  raised  him  far 
above  his  head ;  but  a  frightened  gentle  voice  at  his  side  said, 
"  Eemember  he  is  your  brother !  "  James  slowly  let  the  strug- 
gling form  of  his  brother  reach  the  ground,  and  released  the 
now  for  a  time  completely  cowed  man,  who  slunk  away,  and, 
sinking  on  a  rustic  bench,  James  let  his  head  rest  in  his 
hands. 

A  soft  voice  at  his  side  aroused  him,  and,  turning  his  gaze 
toward  her,  he  saw  something  which  drove  all  other  thoughts 
from  his  mind. 

"  How  grand  and  noble  you  looked/'  she  said,  "  when  you 
put  Frank  down!  You  are  yourself  now,  and  I  know  that  I 
can  trust  you  to  avoid  future  trouble  with  him." 

"  Will  you  trust  me  always  ?  "  he  asked,  taking  her  hand. 

"Yes,  always/'  she  replied,  and  James,  taking  advantage 
of  the  opportunity,  said,  boldly,  "Will  you  be  my  wife, 
Violet?" 

The  question  came  so  unexpectedly  that  she  did  not  answer 


BROTHER  AGAINST  BROTHER.  43 

at  once,  but  hesitated,  undecided.  But  James  caught  her  in 
his  arms,  saying,  "  Now  you  have  made  me  promise  one  or  two 
things,  you  must  promise  me  this." 

"  I  will,"  she  replied,  slipping  out  of  his  arms,  "  on  condi- 
tion that  you  keep  yours." 

"  That  is  all  I  ask,"  he  said,  trying  to  catch  her  in  his  arms 
again,  but  she  tripped  away  through  the  vines,  calling  back 
over  her  shoulder,  "  Remember  your  promise." 

No  one  but  the  three  principals  in  this  little  comedy  in  the 
grape  arbor  ever  knew  what  took  place.  The  relation  between 
the  two  brothers  had  been  somewhat  strained  for  a  few  months 
past,  but  Frank,  on  meeting  James  at  the  supper  table  that 
•evening,  made  himself  quite  pleasant,  much  to  the  surprise 
of  all. 

James,  being  of  an  honorable  character  himself,  never 
thought  of  treachery,  and,  thinking  Frank  to  be  ashamed  of 
himself,  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  smooth  over  the  trouble. 

No  one  but  Violet  suspected  anything,  and  she  resolved  to 
warn  James  to  be  on  his  guard,  for  she  read  in  Frank's 
smooth  talk  and  false  smiles  a  terrible  meaning. 

The  apparently  more  friendly  relations  of  James  and  Frank 
caused  a  great  deal  of  happiness  in  the  bosom  of  Mrs.  Vernon. 
Mr.  Vernon,  being  so  deeply  absorbed  in  business  matters, 
liad  not  noticed  anything  wrong  between  his  two  sons,  and 
Mrs.  Vernon  wisely  kept  her  own  counsel. 

Catching  the  spirit  of  the  evening  in  his  veins,  Mr.  Ver- 
non proposed  that  he  should  take  the  two  boys  into  the  com- 
pany, and  the  name  of  The  Vernon  Mercantile,  Banking  and 
Lumber  Company  be  changed  to  James  Vernon  &  Sons'  Mer- 
cantile, Banking  and  Lumber  Company. 

It  was  decided  that  James  should  look  after  the  lumber 
department,  Frank  should  have  charge  of  the  banking  system, 
.and  Mr.  Vernon  the  mercantile  department. 

The  two  boys  were  regarded  as  the  most  promising  young 
business  men  in  the  city,  and  for  a  long  time  Frank  never 
gave  the  slightest  hint  to  any  one  of  the  mad  love  that  was 


44  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

consuming  his  very  soul,  and  that  was  soon  to  break  loose  and 
wreck  the  happiness  of  two  young  lives,  send  himself  to  prison 
and  break  his  mother's  loving  heart  and  send  his  father  to 
an  early  grave. 

Ah,  love,  what  a  power  art  thou  for  good  or  evil !  And  how 
by  thy  aid  the  worst  of  mortals  may  become  angels,  and  vice 
versa,  the  best  of  mortals — the  worst. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Sttjtf  Kng  3am- — Jamas'  ijmiir  &*0n#  nf  %  KtttU 
Saggein  Jlrrlfin  from  %  Sitrcr 

The  winter  following  James'  expulsion  from  school  was  a 
most  favorable  one  for  the  lumber  business.  The  snow-fall 
had  been  the  heaviest  on  record,  and  the  great  natural  res- 
ervoir twelve  miles  above  the  city  was  full  of  logs,  and  for 
many  miles  the  river  banks  were  lined  with  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  the  huge  giants  that  had  been  for  countless 
years  the  proud  monarchs  of  the  forest. 

The  water  in  the  reservoir  had  been  stored  up  until  the 
great  dam  threatened  to  give  way  beneath  the  tremendous 
weight  bearing  upon  it. 

The  spring  launching  was  the  greatest  event  of  the  year 
in  those  days,  and  the  whole  country  turned  out  to  see  the 
spectacle. 

The  launching  was  scheduled  to  take  place  on  the  1st  of 
April,  and  Mr.  Yernon's  entire  family  was  present  when  it 
occurred.  After  a  short  speech  by  Mr.  Vernon,  a  few  replies 
by  some  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Saginaw,  the  great 
sluice  gates  were  opened  at  a  signal  from  Mr.  Yernon,  and 
immediately  the  great  flood  was  pouring  through  them. 

The  huge  logs  shot  through  the  dam  like  great  rockets, 
burying  themselves  far  beneath  the  foam-capped  waves. 

A  great  shout  went  up  from  thousands  of  throats  at  sight 
of  the  beautiful  spectacle,  but  soon  changed  to  one  of  fear  as 
a  ragged  little  urchin  was  seen  to  dart  out  upon  the  very 
edge  of  the  trembling  dam  and  dance  gleefully  about  above 
the  rushing,  roaring  vortex. 

The  sister  of  the  child  rushed  madly  out  to  drag  her  little 
brother  back  to  safety,  but  she  was  seized  by  a  brawny  lumber- 
man and  held  back,  while  a  dozen  of  the  hardy  timbermen 
rushed  upon  the  trembling  dam  to  save  the  child,  but  they 

45 


46  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VEKNON". 

were  too  late,  for,  just  as  the  foremost  was  about  to  grasp  the 
little  fellow,  a  great  log  was  seen  to  rear  itself  on  end,  turn 
completely  over  and  fall  with  crushing  force  on  the  sluice  gate 
beside  the  child. 

The  shock  of  the  great  log  threw  the  little  fellow  off  his 
balance  and  he  fell  headlong  into  the  boiling,  rushing  water, 
which  swept  him  in  an  instant  far  below,  among  the  tumbling, 
grinding  logs. 

A  cry  of  horror  rose  from  the  multitude  on  the  shores  and 
the  river  men  were  seen  to  hesitate,  and  their  rugged  cheeks 
to  blanch,  for  to  leap  into  that  boiling,  seething  whirlpool 
meant  what  seemed  to  be  certain  death  by  drowning  or,  far 
worse,  to  be  crushed  like  an  egg-shell  between  the  tossing 
logs. 

None  but  those  who  have  actually  witnessed  a  jam  of  logs 
going  through  a  narrow  dam  can  fully  realize  the  terrible 
danger  to  the  unfortunate  one  who  is  once  caught  in  its 
deadly  grasp. 

As  the  lumbermen  stood  staring  at  each  other,  a  lithe  form 
was  seen  to  suddenly  dart  out  upon  the  dam,  throwing  off 
clothes  as  he  ran,  and,  with  the  agility  and  strength  of  a 
tiger,  leap  far  over  a  whirling  log,  sink  for  an  instant  from 
view,  reappear  into  the  roaring  vortex  of  water,  and,  with  a 
few  powerful  strokes,  direct  his  course  in  a  line  with  that 
of  the  drowning  child. 

It  was  a  matter  of  chance  after  this,  for  no  swimmer  could 
alter  his  course  in  the  mad  rush  of  water;  but,  just  as  the 
little  fellow's  head  WPS  about  to  sink  for  the  third  time  beneath 
the  foam-flecked  waves,  the  hand  of  the  daring,  rescuer  came 
in  contact  with  the  child,  and  he  was  for  the  moment  saved. 

But,  with  all  of  his  great  strength,  the  swimmer  was  unable 
to  make  the  least  headway  against  the  whirling  circle  of  water 
which  gradually  clrew  him  and  his  unconscious  burden  nearer 
its  center,  where  it  plunged  downward  in  a  rotary  motion, 
dragging  whole  logs  under  with  it.  When  the  logs  again  made 
their  appearance  they  would  be  a  great  distance  down  the 
stream. 


THE  LOG  JAM.  47 

Even  should  he  escape  the  whirlpool,  he  had  but  one  chance 
in  a  thousand  of  escaping  being  crushed  to  death  between  the 
logs,  which  struck  together  with  a  force  that  peeled  the  bark 
off  and  sent  the  splinters  flying  into  his  face  in  showers. 

He  was  fast  growing  exhausted;  his  efforts  were  growing 
weaker  and  weaker,  and  he  seemed  about  to  sink  from  sight, 
when  a  great  pine  log  was  seen  to  strike  him  a  fearful  blow ; 
but  he  managed  to  cling  to  it  and  climb  upon  it  with  his 
limp  burden,  one  arm  hanging  helplessly  by  his  side. 

The  huge  log  he  is  astride  of  is  the  same  one  which  so  nearly 
crushed  the  great  sluice  gates.  The  struggle  between  the 
whirlpool  and  the  giant  of  the  forest  is  tremendous.  The 
log  disappears  from  sight  at  intervals,  but  only  for  an  instant. 
Sometimes  it  spins  around  like  a  top,  as  if  trying  to  shake  its 
human  burden  off ;  but,  lo !  just  as  the  great  log  is  pulled 
directly  over  the  vortex  for  the  hundredth  time,  the  current 
changes  for  an  instant,  and  the  log  is  thrown  with  great  vio- 
lence clear  of  the  whirlpool,  and  shoots  like  an  arrow  down 
the  stream.  The  crowd  looks  with  bated  breath.  Surely  he 
must  have  loosened  his  hold  that  time,  for  no  human  being 
could  have  had  the  strength  and  endurance  to  cling  to  that 
shooting  monster  as  it  flows  through  a  sea  of  foam !  But  he 
is  there !  in  the  same  position,  and,  wonder  of  wonders,  he  still 
has  the  child ! 

But  the  danger  was  by  no  means  past  yet.  The  stream 
becomes  narrower  a  few  hundred  feet  below  the  dam,  and 
there  is  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river.  Here  is  where  the  greatest 
danger  will  be.  The  logs  had  become  wedged  at  this  point  and 
formed  a  jam  fully  forty  feet  in  height,  the  high  banks  on 
either  side  hemmed  the  water  until  it  made  a  cataract,  over 
which  the  loose  logs  shot  with  terrible  velocity. 

To  go  over  this  meant  to  be  crushed  to  death,  and,  making 
a  desperate  effort,  he  gained  an  upright  position  on  the  rolling 
log,  holding  his  unconscious  burden  in  his  one  good  arm. 

His  only  chance  of  life  now  lay  in  his  being  able  to  regain 
the  shore  before  reaching  the  great  jam.  To  do  this  he  would 


48  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

have  to  make  his  way  by  leaping  from  one  log  to  another 
when  they  came  close  enough  together.  But  would  he  be 
able  to  accomplish  this  before  it  was  too  late  ? 

Less  than  six  hundred  feet  intervened  between  himself  and 
certain  death,  and  the  logs  were  moring  with  the  speed  of 
an  express  train! 

Closer  and  closer  the  logs  closed  together  as  the  stream 
became  narrower,  and  in  a  short  time  he  stood  upon  the  near- 
est log,  which  was  within  six  feet  of  the  shore. 

Gathering  himself  for  a  desperate  effort,  he  leaped.  But, 
hampered  with  the  child,  he  could  not  quite  make  it,  and  fell 
into  the  rushing  waters.  But  another  log,  rushing  down  from 
above,  was  soon  within  reach,  and  he  managed  to  clamber 
upon  it  and,  made  his  way  within  a  few  feet  of  the  shore, 
when  the  jam  was  reached. 

He  had  made  an  excellent  fight  for  life,  but  it  seemed  now 
as  if  all  his  efforts  were  to  be  in  vain. 

The  log,  with  its  precious  burden,  was  whirling  tantalizingly 
near  the  shore,  but  just  out  of  reach.  It  was  now  too  late  to 
plunge  into  the  water  and  try  to  swim  the  few  remaining 
feet,  as  he  would  have  been  swept  down  instantly  by  the 
under-tow  and  ground  to  death.  Nearer  and  nearer  they 
were  swept  to  the  fatal  precipice,  until  the  front  end  of  the 
log  struck  the  jam  with  a  crash,  swung  sideways  across  the 
small  opening  in  the  center  of  the  jam,  and  in  an  instant  was 
swept  beneath  the  surface,  but  not  before  James  had  leaped 
onto  the  tossing  logs,  where  he  made  his  way  from  one  to 
another,  now  falling  down  on  his  knees,  sometimes  crawling  on 
his  hands  and  knees,  amidst  the  blinding  spray,  but  slowly  and 
surely  making  his  way  to  the  shore  and  safety. 

Once  a  giant  pine,  caught  like  a  wedge,  snapped  in  two  like 
a  jackstraw,  the  splinters  striking  him  in  the  temple  and 
knocking  him  down,  while  a  great  cry  of  horror  went  up  from 
the  watchers, — but  he  was  up  in  an  instant,  the  blood  flowing 
down  his  face  and  into  his  eyes,  nearly  blinding  him ;  but  he 
was  close  to  the  shore  now,  and  a  dozen  strong  hands  were 


THE   LOG  JAM.  49 

stretched  out  to  render  assistance,  and  just  in  time.  Ex- 
hausted nature  would  stand  no  more,  and  he  sank  fainting  in 
the  arms  of  a  brawny  woodsman,  his  precious  burden  still 
clasped  in  his  one  strong  arm. 

They  were  tenderly  carried  under  the  shade  of  a  great  oak 
tree.  A  doctor  bent  over  them  and  soon  brought  James  to 
consciousness,  but  it  was  many  hours  before  the  little  one 
could  be  aroused,  as  it  had  swallowed  a  great  quantity  of  water. 

James  was  found  to  have  sustained  a  broken  arm  and  many 
cuts  and  bruises,  but  the  doctor  cheerfully  announced  that 
there  was  no  serious  danger  if  the  patient  had  good  care  and 
was  kept  quiet. 

A  vehicle  was  quickly  procured,  and  they  were  removed  to 
Mt.  Vernon,  James  being  taken  directly  home,  and  the  child 
to  the  home  of  his  parents,  who  proved  to  be  one  of  Mr.  Ver- 
non's  tenants,  its  father,  William  Manning,  being  the  engi- 
neer in  one  of  the  saw-mills  belonging  to  Mr.  Vernon. 

Our  hero  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  several  weeks,  and 
every  day  brought  forth  a  visit  from  Marguerite  Manning,  the 
sister  of  the  little  fellow  whom  he  had  saved.  She  always 
brought  a  beautiful  bouquet  of  flowers  to  decorate  his  room, 
and  her  fresh,  happy  young  face  was  watched  for  with  eager- 
ness by  the  patient,  because  she  always  reminded  him  of  the 
sun  just  peeping  from  behind  some  dark  cloud. 

When  our  hero  was  at  last  convalescent  and  able  to  be  about, 
he  found  himself  to  be  the  lion  of  the  hour.  The  rough,  but 
kind-hearted,  people  of  the  little  lumber  city  were  both  loud 
and  profuse  in  their  praises,  much  to  the  embarrassment  of 
our  modest  hero. 

Mary's  eighteenth  birthday  anniversary  fell  on  May  7th, 
just  one  month  after  the  log-jam  episode.  Violet  was  nearly 
the  same  age,  although  no  one  knew  exactly  on  what  day  her 
anniversary  would  fall;  consequently  they  had  always  cele- 
brated on  the  same  day,  and  this  year  was  to  be  the  same  as 
usual. 

Grand  preparations  were  made  for  the  fete  and  invitations 
were  sent  to  several  friends  in  Saginaw. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

imim  fag  %  ©to  HtU  iam 

While  James  is  slowly  recovering  from  the  rough  usage 
of  the  river,  let  us  turn  our  attention  to  Frank  as  he  leaves  the 
Vernon  residence  one  Thursday  evening  shortly  after  the- 
usual  evening  meal  was  over. 

We  find  him  wending  his  way  up  town  to  the  club  of  which 
he  was  president  as  well  as  its  originator. 

Of  late  he  had  taken  to  drinking  quite  heavily,  and  it  was. 
rumored  around  the  city  that  he  was  to  be  seen  any  night  in 
Joe  McCally's  gambling  house,  wooing  the  goddess  of  chance. 
It  was  even  hinted  that  there  was  a  woman's  name  coupled 
with  his.  He  had  been  seen  down  by  the  river  several  times 
strolling  with  pretty  Marguerite  Manning.  His  visits  were 
always  made  after  dark,  and  it  was  predicted  that  no  good 
would  ever  come  of  it. 

After  taking  several  stiff  drinks  of  brandy  and  soda,  and 
exchanging  a  few  words  with  some  of  the  members  of  the  club,, 
he  left  and  made  his  way  down  to  the  river  below  the  dam. 

Seating  himself  on  a  fallen  log,  he  lighted  a  cigar  and 
prepared  to  wait  for  someone.' 

He  was  evidently  well  acquainted  with  the  place,  for,  after 
smoking  thoughtfully  a  few  moments,  he  arose,  went  over  to 
the  butt  of  an  old  tree  and  thrust  his  hand  into  a  hollow  space 
within. 

"  Nothing  there,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction. 
"  She  will  be  here  to-night,  if  nothing  happens." 

After  making  this  somewhat  obscure  remark,  he  again 
seated  himself  on  the  fallen  log.  He  did  not  have  to  wait 
long,  for  a  rustling  in  the  underbrush  was  soon  heard,  and,, 
without  turning  his  head,  he  remarked,  "  Nice  way  to  keep  a 
fellow  waiting.  I  ought  to  be  up  to  the  club  even  now." 

"  There  was  a  time  when  you  did  not  think  so  much  of  the 

50 


DOWN   BY   THE   OLD   MILL   DAM.  51 

club/'  remarked  the  newcomer,  who  was  no  other  than  Mar- 
guerite Manning,  the  engineer's  pretty  daughter. 

But  how  changed  was  that  beautiful  face  now.  There  was 
an  anxious,  worried  look  on  her  countenance  as  she  spoke 
again,  saying,  "  Frank,  you  must  keep  your  promise  to  me 
before  it  is  too  late." 

"  0  well,  of  course  I  will,"  he  replied,  irritably.  "  But 
before  I  do,  you  must  do  me  one  favor,  and  then  we  shall 
go  to  Saginaw,  hunt  up  a  preacher  and  be  quietly  married." 

"But  why  must  we  go  to  Saginaw?  You  have  promised 
that  we  should  be  married  and  live  here  in  Mt.  Vernon." 

<f  We  shall  live  here,"  he  replied,  "  but  you  must  keep  the 
marriage  a  secret  for  awhile  yet,  as  it  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance to  me  that  you  should  do  so;  and,  by  the  way,  there  is 
another  little  matter  of  which  I  wish  to  speak  to  you." 

Eising  and  throwing  away  his  cigar,  he  folded  his  arms 
about  the  girl  whose  ruin  he  had  accomplished,  and,  kissing 
her  lips,  said,  "  Now,  listen  to  me,  dear,  and,  if  you  promise 
to  do  exactly  as  I  tell  you,  we  will  be  married  in  just  three 
weeks  from  to-day." 

The  heartless  young  scoundrel  knew  exactly  how  to  manage 
the  poor,  weak  creature  who  had  fallen  a  prey  so  easily  to  his 
oily  tongue  and  smooth  ways. 

"  Ah !  Frank,"  she  said,  "  how  good  it  seems  to  have  you 
take  me  in  your  arms  as  you  once  did.  It  almost  makes  me 
happy  again,  except  when  I  think  of  the  future ! "  And 
here  she  broke  down  and  sobbed.  The  villain  comforted  her, 
stroking  her  hair  and  calling  her  endearing  names,  until  she 
was  somewhat  calm  again,  and  then  he  proposed  his  plan  to 
her  which  ran  as  follows: 

She  was  to  attend  the  birthday  party,  and  by  some 
manoeuver  get  James  into  the  old  grape  arbor,  and  he  (Frank) 
would  manage  to  get  Violet  near  the  arbor.  When  this  was 
accomplished,  Marguerite  was  to  accuse  James  of  perpetrat- 
ing her  ruin  and  promising  to  marry  her. 

The  details  were  carefully  gone  over  and  minutely  explained 


52  THE   MERCHANT   OE   MT.    VERNON. 

by  the  fiend,  who,  after  making  sure  that  she  thoroughly 
understood  them,  asked : 

"  Well,  dear,  what  do  you  say  ?  Will  you  do  it  if  I  give  you 
my  sacred  word  of  honor  to  marry  you  within  three  weeks 
of  to-day?" 

"  What  do  I  say  ?  "  she  repeated,  with  blazing  eyes.  "  That 
I  would  rather  die  than  do  this  wicked  thing.  I  have  sunk 
low,  very  low,  indeed,  but  I  am  not  base  enough  to  wreck  those 
two  lives !  Do  you  forget  that  it  was  James  who  sprang  into 
that  terrible  dam  and  rescued  Brother  Walter  from  its  terrible 
clutches?  There  was  no  other  brave  enough  to  risk  their 
lives  but  him.  Even  the  brawny  woodsmen,  who  are  thought 
not  to  know  what  fear  is,  hung  back  and  did  not  dare  risk  it. 
You  were  there,  and  in  my  mad  fear  and  anguish  I  called 
on  you  to  save  him ;  but,  coward  that  you  are,  you  hung  back. 
I  tell  you  I  would  rather  die  than  do  it ! " 

"  Then  die  you  shall ! "  he  cried,  furiously,  and,  picking 
her  up  in  his  arms,  he  strode  with  her  to  the  river,  where  he 
made  as  if  to  throw  her  in ;  but,  thinking  better  of  it,  he  let 
her  fall  to  the  ground  and  stood  gloating  over  the  half -faint- 
ing form  of  the  girl. 

"No;  I  will  not  do  that,"  he  cried.  "That  would  be  too 
easy.  I  will  let  you  live  and  face  the  world  with  that  unborn 
brat  of  yours." 

"  Have  mercy !  "  she  wailed.    "  It  would  kill  me !  " 

"  Then  do  as  I  tell  you,  and  I  will  marry  you  to-morrow." 

"  Never,  never !  I  will  seek  the  cold  water  at  my  feet  first." 
And,  rising,  she  continued,  "  I  will  go  to-morrow  and  put 
them  on  their  guard,  for  now  I  know  you  for  what  you  are — 
a  base  deceiver  and  liar,  who  would  stop  at  nothing  to  gain 
your  ends — not  even  murder." 

"  By  heavens !  you  shall  pay  for  this,"  said  the  now  thor- 
oughly-frightened and  baffled  man.  "  You  shall  never  live  to 
tell  them  the  story  of  your  downfall  at  my  hands,  and,  most 
of  all,  my  intentions  toward  Violet,  for  I  mean  to  make  Violet 


DOWN    BY    THE    OLD    MILL    DAM.  53 

Vernon  my  wife  by  fair  means  or  foul !  Do  you  know  what 
I  mean  to  do  ?  "  he  said,  with  a  hiss. 

"  I  know  you  would  do  almost  anything,  but  you  shall  not 
prevent  me  from  telling  them  the  truth,"  she  cried,  defiantly. 

"  Then  die ! "  he  shrieked,  hoarsely,  giving  her  a  violent 
push.  She  staggered  on  the  very  brink  of  the  dam,  regained 
her  balance,  and  would  have  got  away  safely,  but  the  man, 
mad  with  fear  at  the  thought  of  his  villainy  being  made  known 
to  Violet,  seized  her  roughly  in  his  arms,  and,  swinging  her 
completely  off  her  feet,  hurled  her  down  to  the  cold,  dark 
depths  of  the  rushing  mill  race. 

One  wild  scream  of  terror  and  anguish  rang  out  upon  the 
still  night  air,  and  then  all  was  silence.  Once  a  white  hand 
was  thrown  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  grasping  vainly  for 
support,  but  it  soon  sank  from  sight,  and  nothing  was  left 
but  the  rushing  waves  of  the  swiftly-moving  current. 

The  guilty  man  sank  down,  pale  and  haggard,  on  the  saw 
dust,  and  wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  face,  looked  search- 
ingly  about  to  see  if  his  act  had  been  observed  by  any  one. 

Nothing  suspicious  was  to  be  seen,  and  no  sound  marred  the 
stillness  of  the  calm,  beautiful  night.  The  murderer  arose 
and  swiftly  made  his  way  home.  Passing  up  the  back  stair- 
way, he  quickly  sought  his  own  room,  and,  flinging  himself 
face  downward  on  the  bed,  he  tried  to  think  of  various  ways 
to  divert  suspicion  from  himself. 

"  Thank  heaven !  "  he  muttered,  "  no  one  saw  me,  and  they 
will  probably  think  she  accidentally  fell  into  the  water." 

But  he  was  wrong  in  thinking  that  no  person  saw  him  com- 
mit that  horrible  crime,  for  Elph,  the  fourteen-year-old  son 
of  Hattie  (Hattie  is  old  Aunt  Lizzie's  daughter,  and  one  of 
the  negro  servants  who  accompanied  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vernon 
from  Culpepper  to  Michigan,  it  will  be  remembered)  had  been 
an  eye-witness  to  all  that  was  said  and  done  in  that  fatal  scene. 

He  had  gone  down  to  the  river  to  fish  for  bull-heads,  and  in 
order  that  he  might  reach  the  deepest  water  he  climbed  down 


54  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

the  slippery  sides  of  one  of  the  piers  of  the  dam,  and,  sitting 
astride  of  a  cross  timber,  was  busily  hauling  in  the  bull-heads, 
when  the  sound  of  voices  reached  his  ear,  and,  looking  up, 
he  distinctly  saw  the  forms  of  Frank  and  Marguerite.  Being 
in  the  dark  shadow  of  the  dam,  he  could  hear  and  see  all  that 
took  place  without  himself  being  seen. 

He  remained  perfectly  quiet,  observing  all  that  took  place, 
and  when  Frank  hurled  the  unfortunate  girl  in  the  river  he 
quickly  dived  after  her.  But  the  murderer  had  done  his  work 
well,  as  he  had  hurled  her  far  beyond  the  quiet  little  eddy 
into  the  rushing  water,  and  she  was  instantly  swept  down  the 
swift  current ;  and,  try  as  he  would,  Elph  was  unable  to  find 
the  slightest  trace  of  her.  He  searched  the  banks  on  both 
sides  far  down  the  river,  but  in  vain,  and  he  finally  gave  up  in 
despair. 

Frank  had  always  been  cruel  to  him,  and  Elph  felt  the 
greatest  fear  of  him.  Fear  kept  him  from  running  to  the 
city  and  telling  what  he  saw,  and,  quieting  his  conscience 
the  best  he  could,  he  stole  back  home  and  crept  up  to  his  little 
bed  in  the  barn,  there  to  dream  of  the  terrible  spectacle  he  wit- 
nessed in  the  evening. 

The  next  morning  all  was  excitement.  Marguerite,  the 
engineer's  beautiful  daughter,  had  disappeared. 

She  had  complained  of  a  headache,  and  went  to  her  room 
early  in  the  evening,  but  on  calling  her  in  the  morning  and 
receiving  no  response,  her  mother  opened  the  bed-room  door 
and  found  the  room  empty.  The  snowy  white  bed  in  the  cor- 
ner had  not  been  occupied.  The  window  was  open,  and,  cross- 
ing over  to  it,  she  looked  down  on  the  soft  earth  and  saw  the 
foot-prints  of  Marguerite,  where  she  had  lightly  leaped  from 
the  window  to  the  yielding  soil.  A  strange  sensation  of  mis- 
giving seized  Mrs.  Manning,  and  she  sank  to  the  floor  with 
a  spasm  of  fear;  but,  recovering  herself,  she  hurriedly  sent 
word  to  where  Mr.  Manning  was  working,  and  he  hastened 
home. 


DOWN   BY   THE   OLD   MILL   DAM.  55 

A  brief  consultation  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  to  give  a 
general  alarm. 

The  mills  closed  down,  and  the  men  all  joined  in  the  search, 
some  dragging  the  river  and  others  scouring  the  woods,  but 
nothing  was  seen  or  heard  of  her  that  day. 

The  searching  parties  returned  in  groups  of  twos  and  threes, 
but  all  had  the  same  sad  news  to  report : 

Failure ! 

At  daybreak  the  whole  city  was  aroused;  the  search  was 
renewed  with  more  vigor  than  ever;  searching  parties  were 
sent  far  down  the  river,  but  no  news  came  until  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  she  was  seen  in  a  pile  of  drift- 
wood, seven  miles  below  the  dam,  whither  the  swift  current 
had  carried  her. 

The  beautiful  face  was  bruised  and  swollen  beyond  all 
recognition  from  contact  with  the  sharp  rocks,  and  the  lovely 
golden  hair  hung  down  her  back  and  streamed  over  her  face 
like  a  golden  halo. 

Frank,  who  had  been  the  most  active  in  the  search,  was 
the  first  one  to  discover  her.  He  led  a  searching  party  down 
the  river.  In  fact,  it  was  by  his  suggestion  that  they  searched 
the  river  further  downward. 

The  poor  girl  was  brought  home  and  buried  in  the  little 
cemetery  on  the  hill,  and  no  person  was  more  profuse  in  their 
regrets  and  expressions  of  sorrow  over  the  fate  of  the  unfor- 
tunate girl  than  Frank  Vernon. 

As  for  Elph,  he  was  too  completely  cowed  by  his  fears  of 
Frank  to  say  anything  of  what  he  knew,  and  the  verdict  of 
the  coroner  was:  "Death  by  drowning,  caused  by  acci- 
dentally falling  into  the  water  some  time  between  the  hours 
of  8.00  p.m.  and  7.00  a.m.  on  the  night  of  April  22d,  1886." 

The  birthday  party  was  postponed  two  months  on  account 
of  the  tragedy,  and  the  fertile  brain  of  Frank  hatched  up  a 
scheme  whereby  he  hoped  to  still  carry  out  his  original  plans 
to  humiliate  and  disgrace  James  in  the  eyes  of  Violet. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

5%  Smmmt— 3temk  Wlm 

One  bright  morning  in  the  early  part  of  June,  a  few  days 
before  the  grand  ball  and  birthday  party  to  be  celebrated  at 
Greenwold,  the  beautiful  Vernon  home,  we  find  Frank  in  his 
"  den,"  a  spacious  room  on  the  second  story,  opening  off  of 
his  bed-chamber.  Looking  around  the  richly-furnished  room, 
we  observe  Frank,  clad  in  a  garnet  velvet  dressing-gown,  and 
reclining  in  a  large  easy  chair  before  the  fire-place,  his  feet 
perched  upon  the  fender,  evidently  taking  his  ease.  Close  to 
his  elbow  stood  a  small,  round  table,  covered  with  a  snowy 
linen  spread,  upon  which  was  the  remains  of  a  light  breakfast. 
Near-by,  on  his  left,  was  a  mahogany  stand,  strewn  with  books 
and  magazines,  but  he  did  not  appear  to  be  in  a  reading  mood. 
A  cigar  in  his  fingers,  his  head  resting  on  the  cushioned  back 
of  the  easy  chair,  he  was  thoughtfully  blowing  blue  rings  of 
smoke  above  his  head.  His  eyes  were  half  closed,  and  he 
appeared  to  be  thinking  deeply. 

"  Yes,"  he  muttered,  "  she  is  dead,  and  it  is  better  so ! " 
And,  after  a  pause,  "  I  would  have  had  to  look  elsewhere  for 
aid  in  any  case,  the  obstinate  little  minx ! " 

Several  minutes  were  passed  in  silence,  when  suddenly, 
with  a  start,  he  exclaimed,  in  a  low  voice : 

"  The  very  person,  I  believe !  How  is  it  that  Susanne  Roth- 
ford's  name  has  not  occurred  to  me  before!  I  know  that 
Susanne  is  infatuated  with  James,  and  she  will  be  only  too 
glad  to  break  up  the  match  between  James  and  Violet.  More- 
over, I  am  well  enough  acquainted  with  Susanne  to  propose 
my  plan  to  her  and  trust  her  to  keep  silent  in  regard  to  con- 
fidential matters." 

Crossing  the  room,  he  sat  down  at  his  writing  desk  and 
penned  the  following  note: 

56 


THE   DECISION FRANK  WINS.  57 

"  To  MlSS  SUSANNE  KOTHFORD, 

«  Mt.  Vernon,  Mich. 
66  My  Dear  Susie : — 

66 1  beg  to  request  you  to  favor  me  with  a  few  min- 
utes' interview,,  if  you  will  be  at  liberty  this  after- 
noon and  can  spare  a  half  hour  of  your  valuable 
time,  as  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  about  something  of 
importance. 

"  May  I  hope  for  a  favorable  reply  immediately  ? 
"  Sincerely  yours, 

"  FRANK  VERNON." 
"  Greenwold,  June  3,  1886,  10.00  a.m." 

After  addressing  and  sealing  the  above  missive,  he  pulled 
the  bell-rope,  and  in  a  second  Elph  appeared. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  Marse  Frank  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Take  this  message  to  Miss  Susanne  Rothf  ord,  at  The 
Corners,  and  wait  for  a  reply,"  commanded  Frank,  handing 
him  the  envelope.  "  Now,  be  quick  about  it !  " 

Touching  his  cap  respectfully,  Elph  disappeared.  He  was 
not  gone  very  long  before  he  returned  and  handed  Frank  a 
pink-tinted  envelope  addressed  in  a  woman's  fine  handwriting. 
Frank  opened  the  envelope,  drew  out  the  note  paper  and  read 
the  following: 

"  To  MR.  FRANK  VERNON, 
"  Greenwold, 

"  Mt.  Vernon. 
"Dear  Friend:— 

"  If  you  will  call  at  my  home  at  2.30  this  p.m.,  I 
shall  be  at  liberty  to  give  you  the  audience  you 
requested.  "  Sincerely, 

"  S.  KOTHFORD." 
"  The  Corners,  June  3,  1886." 

"  Ah  ha !  "  muttered  Frank.  "  I  will  be  punctual/'  Tak- 
ing his  watch  from  his  vest  pocket,  he  glanced  at  the  time, 


58  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.   VERNON. 

remarking,  "  I  shall  not  be  able  to  spend  much  time  at  the 
bank  to-day/' 

Half-past  two  o'clock  that  afternoon  found  Frank  standing 
on  the  veranda  of  The  Corners.  In  response  to  his  ring  the 
door  was  opened  by  a  very  tall  young  man,  who  looked  decid- 
edly English,  who  wore  a  uniform  which  looked  English 
and  who  spoke  in  a  manner  and  voice  that  could  not  be 
mistaken  for  anything  but  English.  He  was  evidently  the 
butler,  and  led  Frank  to  a  small  reception  room,  waved  him  to 
a  chair,  and  then  disappeared  in  response  to  Frank's  inquiry 
to  see  Miss  Eothford. 

Directly  a  tall  girl  entered  the  room,  and  a  clear  voice  pleas- 
antly greeted  him.  Susanne  Eothford  is  more  than  a  comely- 
looking  girl.  Tall  and  slender,  but  well  built,  she  moves 
about  with  easy  grace,  and  there  is  a  sprightliness  as  well  as 
determination  in  her  step  which  commands  one's  admiration. 
A  face  which  was  at  once  delicate,  lovely  and  expressing  great 
determination  and  independence,  with  features  almost  clas- 
sical in  outline,  and  a  clear,  ivory  complexion.  Framed  in  its 
coils  of  dark  hair,  it  makes  a  pleasing  face  to  look  upon. 
Yet,  one  observing  very  closely  the  face  of  Susanne  Rothford 
would  discover  unpleasant  lines  about  the  firmly-chiseled 
mouth  and  a  certain  faltering,  half -cruel  light  lurking  in  the 
depths  of  her  luminous  dark  eyes  which  spoke  of  a  treacher- 
ous side  to  her  character  and  warned  one  not  to  trust  her 
too  far. 

Susanne  led  Frank  to  the  garden,  and,  as  they  slowly  walked 
up  the  rose  path,  he  began,  "  Susie,  I  have  come  to  confide 
to  you  my  trouble  and  annoyance  and  to  ask  your  aid,  well 
knowing  that  I  can  trust  you.  You  know  that  my  brother 
James  and  Violet  Vernon  are  about  to  be  married,  and,  Susie, 
I  love  her  and  cannot  give  her  up.  I  cannot  give  her  up,"  he 
repeated,  his  eyes  burning  with  a  smoldering,  passionate 
light,  "  and  I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  help  me  to  part  James 
and  Violet.  Besides,"  he  added,  with  a  queer  little  smile, 
"you  would  be  interested  in  seeing  James  break  faith  with 


THE   DECISION FKANK   WINS.  59 

Violet/'  speaking  with  a  slight  emphasis  on  the  "you/'  A 
flush  of  pride  mounted  to  her  cheeks,  and  Frank  hastily  con- 
tinued, "  Susanne,  if  you  will  aid  me,  I  will  be  your  debtor 
for  life,  and  matters  will  take  a  different  turn — more  to  the 
satisfaction  of  both  you  and  I." 

After  a  few  moments  of  silence,  she  asked,  "  Well,  Frank, 
what  is  it  you  wish  me  to  do,  and  how  shall  I  aid  you  ?  " 

"  Susie,  there  is  only  one  way  that  I  can  think  of  which 
would  be  effectual,  and  you  will  forgive  me  and  not  be 
offended  if  I  speak  quite  plainly  ?  " 

"  You  may  say  what  you  wish,"  she  replied. 

<e  Knowing  as  I  do  Violet's  loyal,  true  nature,  I  am  certain 
there  is  only  one  way  of  making  her  look  with  disfavor  upon 
her  lover,  and  that  is  to  make  James  appear  dishonorable  and 
in  a  worthless  light  to  her.  To  accomplish  this  you  would 
liave  to  accuse  James  within  her  hearing  of  ruining  your  life, 
and  bitterly  reproach  him  for  his  heartless  conduct  in  refusing 
to  marry  you,  and  then  plead  with  him  to  save  you  from 
facing  the  world  in  your  shame  and  sorrow,  framing  your 
appeals  in  a  picture  of  despairing  and  agonizing  words  which 
will  brand  him  as  a  heartless,  contemptuous  scoundrel,  dishon- 
orable in  Violet's  eyes." 

Susanne's  eyes  flashed  with  pride;  her  lips  parted  as  if  to 
emit  an  indignant  answer,  but  Frank,  not  giving  her  time  to 
speak,  rapidly  continued: 

"  In  a  few  nights  there  will  be  a  grand  ball  at  Greenwold, 
and  everybody  and  everything  will  be  gay  and  merry.  All 
will  go  well  if  you  will  only  do  as  I  ask.  After  one  of  the 
dances  in  which  James  is  your  partner,  you  will  request  him 
to  take  you  for  a  short  walk  in  the  garden,  as  you  feel  so  faint 
and  warm,  and  must  have  a,  breath  of  fresh  air,  and  you  will 
lead  him  to  the  grape  arbor.  You  know  where  it  is.  Enter, 
both  you  and  James.  In  a  moment  you'll  hear  footsteps 
approaching,  as  I  will  lead  Violet  down  that  path,  and  we 
shall  hear  low  tones  within  the  arbor.  Presently,  when  we 
are  quite  near,  you  will  accuse  James  as  I  said,  and  plead  with 


60  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

him.  She  will  hear,  and — you  know  the  rest.  Will  you  do 
it?" 

Susanne's  bosom  rose  and  fell;  her  face  was  flushed,  and 
she  exclaimed,  "  How  dare  you  ask  me  to  do  such  a  thing !  n 

Frank  spoke  slowly  and  calmly,  saying,  "  And  you  wish 
to  let  Violet  Vernon  continue  to  be  James'  sweetheart,  and 
their  marriage  take  place  serenely — the  future  one  long 
blank." 

"  The  future  one  long  blank/'  he  repeated,  a  subtle  meaning 
in  his  tone,  which  conveyed  to  her  the  impression  he  desired 
to  make,  and  yet  not  in  such  a  way  as  to  strike  upon  her 
nature  harshly  and  wound  her  pride.  Her  eyes  fell  beneath 
his  gaze;  a  change  came  over  her  face;  she  hesitated.  When 
Frank  spoke  again  of  a  marriage  between  Violet  and  James 
a  look  of  passionate  resentment  flashed  into  her  eyes. 

Frank  spoke  again,  continuing  his  request  in  a  persuasive 
tone,  firing  her  jealousy  of  Violet,  until  at  last  he  gained  her 
consent  to  do  as  he  wished  and  part  them. 

After  going  over  every  part,  down  to  the  minutest  detail 
of  how  it  was  to  be  carried  out,  Frank  left  her,  saying,  "  I 
shall  rely  upon  you,  Susie." 

Susanne  walked  slowly  to  the  house  and  passed  in  at  the 
side  entrance.  As  she  passed  through  the  dining-room  her 
mother  entered.  Their  eyes  met,  but  Susanne's  turned  guilt- 
ily away,  and,  after  exchanging  a  few  words,  she  passed 
quickly  on  to  her  room. 

"  What  would  mother  think  ?  "  she  whispered,  as  she  stood 
by  the  window,  meditating,  and  for  a  moment  her  eyes  were 
radiant  with  a  noble  light  in  them,  an  expression  of  good- 
ness and  purity  overspread  her  countenance,  and  she  mur- 
mured, "  I  must  not  ruin  their  lives ;  let  them  be  happy  and 
at  peace  with  each  other." 

Then,  in  an  instant  her  face  hardened ;  her  eyes  burned  with 
a  jealous  fire.  "  Happy !  "  she  repeated.  "  ko !  She  shall 
not  have  him,  and  Susanne  Kothf ord  will  stoop  to  conquer !  " 


CHAPTER  X. 

Sty*  IBtrtlf&uj  purig  atttn  Sail  at 

The  night  of  the  party  fell  clear  and  bright.  The  beauti- 
ful grounds  of  Greenwold  were  lighted  up  with  many  gor- 
geous-hued  Japanese  lanterns.  Inside,  the  spacious  rooms 
were  decorated  with  trailing  smilax  and  ferns,  and  tall  vases 
filled  with  beautiful  roses  and  carnations  garnished  the 
mantlepieces.  The  large,  old-fashioned  fireplaces  were 
banked  with  fair  white  lilies,  while  from  their  holders  of 
heavy  wrought  silver  numerous  wax  candles  threw  their 
beams  over  the  richly-decorated  rooms. 

Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Lizzie  were  arrayed  in  their  best. 
Uncle  Joe,  stiff  and  dignified,  occupied  the  very  important 
position  of  butler  and  felt  the  full  responsibility  of  his  post. 

Aunt  Lizzie,  dressed  in  her  best  black  cashmere  gown  (one 
made  from  some  of  Mrs.  Vernon's  old  ones),  also  felt  the 
importance  of  her  position,  for  did  she  not  have  full  charge 
of  the  mysteries  of  the  kitchen? 

Hattie,  her  daughter,  had  charge  of  the  ladies'  dressing 
room,  and  Tobias,  Hattie's  husband,  looked  after  the  young 
men's  wraps  in  the  gentlemen's  dressing  room. 

Elph,  that  young  imp,  was  to  be  the  chief  dispenser  of 
good  things  later  on,  but,  judging  from  his  bulging  pockets, 
he  had  already  dispensed  with  a  goodly  amount  of  Grandma 
Lizzie's  choicest  cakes  and  dainties.  At  present  he  was 
assisting  his  grandfather  at  the  door,  for  the  young  couples 
came  in  groups  so  closely  that  he  became  slightly  flabber- 
gasted, as  he  expressed  himself  confidentially  to  Mary  and 
Violet,  who,  radiant  and  fair  in  their  dainty  white  muslin 
gowns,  were  assisting  Mrs.  Vernon  in  receiving  the  guests. 

The  imp's  hands  were  a  little  sticky  from  the  icing  on 
Aunt  Lizzie's  cakes,  and  Mary  sent  him  to  the  kitchen  to 
wash  his  hands. 

61 


62  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

Aunt  Lizzie  had  left  her  kitchen  for  a  few  minutes  to  come 
into  the  drawing  room  and  see  the  young  people  arrive.  Her 
sharp  eyes  spied  Elph  as  he  was  slipping  into  the  kitchen, 
and  thinking  he  was  going  to  make  a  raid  on  her  treasures 
she  immediately  started  in  pursuit. 

"  See  here,  you  dirty  little  black  nigger,"  she  exclaimed, 
trying  to  corner  him,  "  Fs  done  gwine  to  break  youh  neck 
if  you  done  touch  any  mo'h  dem  cakes!  " 

But  the  imp  was  too  quick  for  her.  Dodging  under  her 
arm  he  ran  out  the  back  door,  washed  his  hands  under  the 
hydrant,  and  scurried  around  to  the  front  entrance.  Giving 
the  door  bell  a  violent  ring,  it  was  opened  by  Uncle  Joe  with 
his  most  dignified  bow,  but  he  ended  up  with  a  snort  of  dis- 
gust upon  raising  his  woolly  head,  which  had  been  bowed 
down  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  floor. 

"Young  nigger,  what  for  you  come  into  dis  front  door? 
Don't  you  done  know  dat  nothing  but  the  most  spectacle 
white  folks  of  dis  town  comin'  through  dat  door  to-night? 
I's  done  gwine  to  break  dat  black  head  of  youhs  when  I 
gets  time/'  which  was  a  favorite  expression  of  Uncle  Joe's 
when  threatening  dire  vengeance  on  the  head  of  the  imp, 
while  the  fact  was^  he  had  never  struck  him  during  the  four- 
teen years  he  had  acted  as  grandfather  to  Elph.  It  was  dif- 
ferent with  Aunt  Lizzie,  however,  for  many  were  the  spank 
and  swat  she  had  administered  to  the  anatomy  of  that  young 
gentleman.  And  he  seemed  to  appreciate  it,  for  no  sooner 
did  the  memory  of  the  last  sting  fade  away  than  he  would 
come  back  for  more,  which,  in  every  case,  was  cheerfully 
given. 

The  guests  made  an  adjournment  to  the  lawn,  where 
various  games  were  indulged  in  until  10.30,  when  a  light 
luncheon  was  served,  Aunt  Lizzie  tastefully  arranging  the 
tempting  viands  while  the  imp  passed  them  around,  showing 
his  delight  by  displaying  a  shiny  row  of  ivory  that  would 
have  made  a  society  belle  envious. 

Aunt  Lizzie  was  kept  busy  between  her  tasks  of  preparing 


THE  BIRTHDAY   PARTY   AND   BALL  AT   GREENWOLD.          63 

the  viands  and  watching  the  imp,  who,  observing  this,  made 
many  a  wriggle  and  movement  with  his  hands  as  soon  as  he 
was  handed  a  fresh  plate  loaded  down  with  dainties.  His 
back  being  turned,  poor  old  Aunt  Lizzie  was  unable  to  see 
whether  he  was  doing  any  mischief  or  not,  but  feared  the 
worst,  which  caused  the  little  scamp  so  much  joy  that  he  was 
careless  and  did  not  see  Frank,  who  was  coming  through  the 
door  on  some  errand,  and  Elph  ran  full  tilt  against  him, 
causing  the  contents  of  the  plate  to  bespatter  that  young 
man's  evening  dress  in  a  way  that  rendered  him  unfit  to 
re-enter  the  room  among  the  guests  until  he  made  a  change 
of  clothes. 

Frank's  violent  temper  was  instantly  aroused,  and  giving 
the  imp  a  blow  with  his  open  hand  sent  him  reeling  against 
the  door,  causing  his  head  to  strike  the  sharp  corner  of  the 
casing,  rendering  him  unconscious. 

With  a  muttered  curse  Frank  made  his  way  up  the  rear 
stairway  to  his  room,  where  he  changed  his  wearing  apparel. 

Noticing  the  non-appearance  of  Elph,  James  and  Mary 
made  their  way  toward  the  kitchen,  where  they  found  the 
poor  little  fellow  lying  unconscious  upon  the  floor. 

Both  guessed  the  cause  instantly,  for  they  had  observed 
Frank  going  in  this  direction,  and  it  was  by  no  means  the 
first  time  he  had  done  an  act  of  this  kind.  Quickly  raising 
Elph  in  his  arms  James  carried  him  to  his  own  room,  where 
restoratives  were  applied  and  he  was  soon  restored  to  con- 
sciousness, and  related  the  particulars  of  the  case  to  James. 

In  the  meantime  Mary  returned  to  her  guests  and  ex- 
plained that  Elph  had  fallen  against  the  door  and  slightly 
injured  himself,  and  Uncle  Joe  was  now  detailed  to  fill  the 
place  of  the  imp.  Frank  had  made  his  way  back,  looking 
as  cool  and  unconcerned  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  ruffle 
his  temper. 

Violet  was  anxious  and  insisted  upon  going  to  see  Elph, 
and  soon  drew  the  whole  story  of  the  affair  from  him.  She 
was  deeply  shocked  and  hurt  to  learn  of  Frank's  cruelty 


64  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

toward  the  little  fellow.  She  had  known  of  his  abusing  the 
poor  boy  before,  but  not  in  this  shocking  manner.  After 
promising  to  come  and  see  him  again,  she  made  her  way 
downstairs,  mingling  again  with  her  guests  who  had  scarcely 
missed  her  from  the  chattering,  laughing  throng. 

Her  steady  gaze  met  the  eyes  of  Frank,  which  dropped 
before  her  scornful  look,  for  he  saw  that  she  knew  the  truth 
about  it. 

Eefreshments  having  been  served,  the  merry  throng  now 
made  their  way  to  the  ball  room,  where  the  orchestra  struck 
up  a  popular  air  while  the  merry  dancers  whirled  through 
the  good,  old-fashioned  polka. 

Prank  and  Violet  danced  together;  James  and  Susanne, 
much  to  that  young  lady's  delight,  and  Mary  was  the  partner 
of  John  Wellington,  a  neighbor.  Frank  tried  to  open  a  con- 
versation with  Violet,  who  only  answered  in  cold  mono- 
syllables. Losing  his  temper,  he  exclaimed  hotly: 

"  You  could  talk  if  it  were  James  who  was  dancing  with 
you! » 

This  was  the  first  time  he  had  spoken  thus  to  her  since  the 
scene  in  the  grape  arbor. 

She  was  too  surprised  to  answer  for  an  instant,  but  regain- 
ing her  composure,  she  replied,  coldly,  "You  forget  your- 
self, sir." 

Frank  could  have  bit  his  tongue  off  for  having  made  this 
indiscreet  speech,  and  he  hastened  to  humbly  beg  her  par- 
don, which  Violet  readily  granted. 

The  dance  being  over  Frank  and  Violet  wended  their  way 
toward  the  garden,  soon  followed  by  James  and  Susanne, 
who  leisurely  strolled  down  to  the  old  grape  arbor.  Susanne 
had  suggested  resting  in  the  arbor,  after  the  fatigue  of  the 
dance,  and,  unnoticed  by  the  others,  they  parted  the  tangled 
vines  and  entered  the  arbor. 

Frank  and  Violet  slowly  strolled  among  the  rose  bushes, 
the  full  moon  throwing  her  radiant  light  upon  them,  the 
light  breeze  playing  with  Violet's  golden  curls.  Finally, 


THE  BIRTHDAY  PARTY  AND  BALL  AT  GREENWOLD.         65 

turning  down  a  path  toward  the  right,  they  came  directly 
before  the  grape  arbor.  Stretching  out  his  arm,  Frank 
touched  the  vines,  as  if  to  part  them  for  Violet  to  enter,  but 
she  hung  back,  unwilling  to  enter  in  Frank's  company,  the 
memory  of  the  scene  between  him  and  herself  that  had  once 
taken  place  there  flashing  into  her  mind.  As  she  stood 
hesitating,  the  low,  impassioned  tones  of  Susanne  fell  upon 
her  ear.  She  was  pleading  with  James  to  marry  her  before 
it  was  too  late. 

Throwing  herself  on  her  knees,  Susanne  began  in  wild, 
incoherent  words  to  beg  of  James  by  all  that  was  sacred  not 
to  dishonor  her  and  her  unborn  babe. 

James  could  only  ejaculate,  "Susanne!  Susanne!"  so  sur- 
prised and  astonished  was  he  that  he  stood  stupefied,  listen- 
ing to  her  wild  words,  thinking  that  she  had  suddenly  taken 
leave  of  her  senses. 

The  acting  was  perfect. 

Frank  chuckled  to  himself  as  Violet,  with  a  moan  of 
anguish,  leaned  heavily  upon  him,  but  spoke  no  word.  Now 
was  his  chance,  and  putting  his  arm  around  her  he  led  her 
away,  in  the  direction  of  the  house.  Violet  begged  him  to 
let  her  go  to  her  room,  and  make  excuses  for  her  to  the 
guests  regarding  her  non-appearance. 

Pressing  a  judicious  kiss  upon  her  brow,  he  murmured  sor- 
rowfully, "Poor  little  girl!  Poor,  wounded,  little  dove!" 
With  well-simulated  sympathy  he  opened  the  door  of  her 
room,  permitting  her  to  pass  through,  and  closing  the  door 
after  her.  He  then  made  his  way  to  the  ball  room,  and  made 
excuses  to  the  guests,  saying  that  Violet  was  ill  and  had 
retired,  begging  the  party  not  to  mind  her  absence,  as  it  was 
only  a  slight  attack  of  headache. 

Left  alone,  Violet  threw  herself  on  the  bed,  where  she 
wept  and  moaned  as  only  a  trusting  heart  can  which  has 
been  cruelly  wronged  and  deceived. 

Aunt  Lizzie,  hearing  her  darling  honey  bird,  as  she  was 
-called  by  that  great-hearted  creature,  instantly  made  her  way 


66  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

to  Violet's  room,  where  she  unceremoniously  entered,  and 
clasping  the  form  of  the  sobbing  girl  in  her  arms,  picked  her 
up  as  if  she  was  yet  the  baby  that  she  had  rocked  in  child- 
hood. 

Violet,  who  had  always  confided  all  her  troubles  to  her 
black  mammy,  was  strangely  reticent  now,  and  no  amount 
of  coaxing  by  Aunt  Lizzie  could  get  the  desired  information 
from  her.  At  last,  giving  up  in  despair,  she  disrobed  her 
young  mistress,  and  at  the  urgent  request  of  Violet  left  her 
alone  to  fight  out  love's  bitter  awakening. 

But  what  of  James  and  his  strangely-acting  charge. 

He  was  completely  bewildered  and  dumbfounded,  for  as 
soon  as  the  footsteps  of  Frank  and  Violet  died  away  she 
began  laughing  and  crying  in  a  manner  that  greatly  alarmed 
our  bewildered  hero,  who  was  about  to  hasten  for  assistance, 
which  fact  seemed  to  bring  her  instantly  to  herself,  for  she 
grew  more  calm  immediately  and  imperiously  ordered  him 
to  take  her  back  to  the  house,  where  she  at  once  became  one 
of  the  gayest  of  the  gay  dancers. 

Poor  James  began  to  half-suspect  that  he  had  been  dream- 
ing, and  actually  pinched  himself  to  see  whether  he  had  not 
really  fallen  asleep  while  watching  the  dancers.  But  his 
social  duties  called  him  to  himself,  and  he  was  soon  whirling 
over  the  polished  floor  with  a  fair  partner,  whose  noisy 
tongue  caused  him  to  half-forget  the  unpleasant  little  occur- 
rence of  the  past  half  hour. 

The  absence  and  reported  slight  indisposition  of  Violet 
caused  him  much  worry,  however,  as  he  knew  that  nothing 
but  a  serious  illness  could  keep  her  from  her  guests,  and  he 
was  glad  when  the  fete  was  at  last  over  and  the  last  guest 
had  departed. 

Frank  and  James  met  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  as  they  were 
about  to  go  to  their  rooms. 

The  former  seemed  to  be  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and 
jovially  punched  James  in  the  ribs,  remarking  that  he  looked 
more  as  if  he  had  just  come  from  a  funeral  than  a  birthday 
party. 


THE  BIRTHDAY   PARTY   AND  BALL  AT   GREEN  WOLD.         67 

James  answered  rather  coldly,  and  his  brother  laughed 
and  replied: 

"  Oh,  well,  old  man,  you  have  not  entirely  recovered  from 
your  recent  struggle  in  the  log  jam  and  are  tired  out  after 
the  fatiguing  events  of  the  day.  Now  go  to  bed  and  get  a 
good  rest  and  you  will  be  your  old  self  in  the  morning." 

"  By  the  by,  brother,"  said  Frank,  as  they  were  about  to 
part  for  the  night,  after  ascending  the  stairs,  "  better  come 
into  my  room  and  get  a  sip  of  brandy;  it  will  brace  you  up 
wonderfully." 

"No,  thank  you,"  replied  James;  "I  advise  you  not  to 
take  so  many  bracers,  either." 

Frank  had  come  home  slightly  under  the  influence  of 
liquor  several  times  of  late,  but  always  managed  to  conceal 
this  fact  from  all  but  the  imp,  who,  being  out  at  all  times 
of  the  night,  had  confidentially  imparted  the  secret  to  James, 
after  extracting  a  promise  from  him  not  to  inform  any  one 
where  he  got  his  information. 

James  went  up  to  Elph's  little  room  in  the  attic  to  see  how 
the  little  fellow  was  getting  along.  He  found  the  imp  curled 
up  in  his  bed,  having  sobbed  himself  to  sleep,  the  white 
bandage  across  his  forehead,  soaked  with  red  blood,  forming 
a  strong  contrast  with  his  black  face;  and  a  feeling  came  into 
James'  heart  for  an  instant  which  had  never  been  there 
before.  But  it  lasted  an  instant  only,  as,  remembering  his 
brother's  hot,  passionate  nature,  he  felt  only  sorrow  for 
him,  forgetting  his  faults  and  thinking  only  of  his  virtues. 
But  could  he  have  known  of  the  dark,  treacherous  trick 
played  upon  himself  and  Violet  by  the  plotters,  which  was  to 
wreck  two  loving  hearts  and  send  a  third  to  a  fate  far  worse 
than  death,  his  feelings  would  have  been  far  different. 

Ah,  could  he  have  but  known!  How  much  suffering  and 
misery  would  have  been  avoided,  how  many  loving  hearts 
would  have  been  spared  many  an  unhappy  hour  in  the 
future! 

But  it  is  not  for  us  poor  mortals  of  earth  to  see  into  the 
hidden  future. 


CHAPTER  XL 
%rnk*n  Ettgagntmtt 

The  next  day  Violet  was  too  ill  to  leave  her  room  and  a 
doctor  was  called.  He  pronounced  it  to  be  a  case  of  nervous 
prostration,  and  gave  orders  that  all  persons  be  kept  out  of 
the  room  except  the  nurses,  saying  that  she  needed  perfect 
quiet,  as  there  was  danger  of  brain  fever  setting  in. 

But,  thanks  to  her  vigorous,  young  constitution,  she  was 
soon  up  again,  but  how  changed  from  the  laughing,  merry- 
hearted,  blue-eyed  little  girl  of  a  few  weeks  ago.  No  merry 
laughter  rang  through  the  house  now.  She  avoided  James 
on  all  occasions.  He  tried  desperately  to  obtain  an  inter- 
view with  her,  but  she  always  met  him  with  the  plea  of  being 
too  tired,  or  ill,  or  else  Frank  was  on  hand  to  prevent  it, 
fearing  lest  they  should  talk  together,  Violet  reproach  him 
for  his  falsity,  and  an  explanation  follow  which  would  have 
been  exceedingly  embarrassing  for  Frank,  as  well  as  upset- 
ting all  of  his  well-laid  plans. 

The  sharp  eyes  of  Mrs.  Vernon  detected  the  greater  part 
of  this  by-play,  but  she  never  once  dreamed  of  the  dark, 
treacherous  depths  to  which  Frank  was  capable  of  de- 
scending. 

As  time  went  on  James  became  desperate  and  resolved  to 
seek  an  interview  with  Violet,  whether  or  no.  Meeting  her 
quite  unexpectedly  in  the  garden  one  afternoon,  he  stood 
directly  in  her  path  as  she  essayed  to  pass  him. 

"Violet,  why  do  you  avoid  me?  "  he  asked,  reproachfully; 
and  taking  her  gently  but  firmly  by  the  arm  he  led  her  to 
the  old  grape  arbor  which  had  been  the  scene  of  their  be- 
trothal, and  now  the  fatal  place  where  it  would  soon  be 
broken. 

Seating  her  on  a  rustic  bench,  James  sat  down  beside  her 

68 


THE   BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT.  69 

and  repeated  his  question  before  receiving  an  answer  from 
those  quivering  lips,  for  whose  owner  he  would  have  given 
his  very  life  to  spare  one  moment's  pain  or  suffering. 

"  Oh,  James,  how  could  you  have  done  it?"  she  tearfully 
said;  "  and  I  loved  you  so,  believing  you  to  be  the  very  soul 
of  honor  and  fidelity." 

"What  can  you  possibly  mean?"  asked  the  bewildered 
and  astonished  James. 

"Can  you  ask  me  that?"  indignantly  exclaimed  Violet. 
"  Why,  I  saw  and  heard  it  all  myself,  though  quite  by  acci- 
dent." 

James  was  more  puzzled  than  ever  to  know  her  meaning. 
The  unpleasant  little  incident  in  the  arbor  on  the  night  of 
the  party  had  quite  escaped  his  memory.  The  strange  be- 
havior of  Violet  had  crowded  out  everything  else. 

Violet  was  growing  stronger  now,  her  indignation  getting 
the  better  of  her  naturally  timid  and  loving  nature.  It  is 
thus  that  we  ofttimes  find  the  most  timid  natures  the 
strongest  when  put  to  the  extreme  test,  and  so  it  was  thus 
with  Violet. 

What  she  deemed  his  utter  baseness  was  bad  enough,  but 
to  add  deceit  to  guilt  and  wrongdoing  was  too  much  and  tak- 
ing the  engagement  ring  from  her  finger  she  flung  it  at  his 
feet,  saying,  "  Go  give  it  to  the  girl  to  whom  it  rightfully 
belongs,  and  at  least  make  what  reparation  you  can  while 
there  is  yet  time." 

A  light  was  breaking  over  the  bewildered  mind  of  James 
at  last,  and  he  exclaimed,  "Were  you  here  that  night  and 
heard  that  poor  misguided  girl's  wild  words?  " 

"  Yes,  I  was  here  on  the  scene,  very  fortunately,  in  time 
to  hear  the  greater  part  of  that  disgraceful  interview,"  she 
scornfully  replied,  "and  you  must  make  full  reparation  to 
her.  Is  not  ruining  that  poor  girl  enough?  Would  you  still 
seek  to  link  my  life  with  yours,  despicable  man  that  you 
are?  " 

"  Oh,  Violet,  I  have  not  deserved  this!    Would  you  let  the 


70  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

wild,  incomprehensible  words  of  a  half-mad  girl  wreck  our 
two  lives  ?  "  he  asked,  sorrowfully. 

"  Don't  try  to  deceive  me,  sir!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  No  one 
could  have  made  me  believe  that  the  brave  lover  to  whom 
I  had  given  my  love,  aye,  my  very  life,  could  have  been  so 
utterly  false  and  base." 

"  Violet,  you  cannot,  shall  not,  spoil  both  of  our  lives 
because  of  the  wild,  senseless  words  of  that  girl.  I  was  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  what  was  to  take  place  and  of  her  false 
accusations  when  I  came  here  with  her." 

"  So  it  seems,"  she  replied,  ironically,  "or  you  would  have 
deferred  the  interview  to  some  other  time  and  at  a  place  not 
quite  so  public.  You  are  evidently  quite  an  adept  in  arrang- 
ing secret  meetings,  for  no  one  has  ever  known  of  your  clan- 
destine meetings  with  your  sweetheart  of  whom  you  now 
seem  heartily  tired.  I  wonder  how  many  times  you  have 
held  her  in  your  arms,  whispering  words  of  tender  devotion 
and  promising  to  always  love  and  cherish  her?  More  times 
than  you  have  me,  no  doubt.  James,  don't  make  me  despise 
as  well  as  hate  you.  If  I  kept  my  promise  to  marry  you,  you 
would  soon  tire  of  me  as  you  have  of  that  other  unfortunate 
girl." 

"  As  for  your  accusation,"  replied  Jamesr  "  I  can  prove 
that  it  is  utterly  false.  Hate  me  if  you  will,  for  I  cannot 
prevent  you,  but  despise  me  you  never  can,  for  I  am  an 
honorable  man  among  men,"  and  throwing  his  sturdy  shoul- 
ders back  he  folded  his  arms  and  stood  proudly  before  her. 
The  sinewy  cords  working  with  the  excess  of  his  emotion,  he 
looked  the  very  picture  of  the  king  of  men,  and  had  he  made 
but  one  more  appeal  then  Violet  would  have  fallen  in  his 
arms,  believing  him  against  the  very  evidence  of  her  own 
senses. 

But  he  made  none,  and  walking  out  of  the  arbor  he  turned 
and  said,  "  Some  day,  when  it  is  too  late,  you  will  learn  of 
the  cruel  injustice  you  have  done  me  as  well  as  yourself." 


THE   BROKEN   ENGAGEMENT.  71 

Without  another  word  he  quickly  faced  the  other  way  and 
strode  rapidly  in  the  direction  of  the  house. 

Violet  sank  back  upon  the  seat  from  which  she  had  risen, 
all  her  strength  and  courage  ebbing  away  as  her  lover  disap- 
peared from  view.  Covering  her  face  with  her  hands,  she 
burst  into  such  bitter  tears  as  fall  only  when  the  heart  is 
broken. 

"James,  James,  come  back!"  she  wailed  in  grief  and 
despair,  and  could  he  have  but  heard  those  heart-breaking 
words  all  barriers  would  have  been  swept  aside,  all  explained 
and  forgiven,  but,  alas,  he  was  far  out  of  hearing,  and  the 
next  time  he  was  to  look  upon  her  beautiful  face  she  would 
be  the  wife  of  another. 

That  evening  James  announced  his  intention  of  resigning 
his  position  and  going  to  Ann  Arbor,  there  to  learn  the 
medical  profession. 

The  whole  family,  outside  of  Mr.  Vernon,  understood  per- 
fectly well  why  he  was  going  to  leave.  The  latter  could  not 
see  the  tragedy  that  was  taking  place  in  his  own  home.  He 
pleaded,  scolded  and  threatened,  all  in  vain.  James  was 
determined  to  go,  and  his  father  finally  gave  in,  and  Tuesday, 
one  week  after  the  engagement  was  broken,  was  the  date  speci- 
fied for  his  departure  for  Ann  Arbor. 

Violet  did  not  appear  at  the  supper  table  on  the  night  pre- 
ceding his  departure,  neither  did  she  put  in  an  appearance 
at  the  breakfast  table  the  next  morning,  although  all  the 
rest  of  the  family  arose  and  breakfasted  together  and 
escorted  him  to  the  6.30  train.  Frank  was  profuse  in 
expressing  his  regrets  at  parting  with  him,  which  caused 
the  imp  to  grunt  with  disgust  and  resolve  to  keep  a  closer 
eye  on  "  Marse  Frank,"  for  James'  sake. 

Catching  sight  of  the  imp's  sharp,  ferret-like  eyes  fast- 
ened upon  his  face,  Frank  growled  in  an  undertone  for  him 
to  make  himself  scarce,  or  it  would  be  the  worse  for  his  black 
hide  when  he  caught  him  in  the  barn. 


72  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

The  words  were  not  spoken  so  low  but  that  James  heard 
them,  and  turning  to  his  brother  he  said,  "  Frank,  let  the 
little  fellow  remain.  Can  you  not  see  that  he  misses  me  as 
much  as  the  rest?" 

"  Oh,  well,  let  him  remain  if  he  wants  to,"  replied  Frank, 
carelessly,  but  giving  the  imp  a  black  look  which  boded  no 
good  for  that  youngster  later  on.  But  Elph  did  not  notice 
the  look,  being  too  busy  with  his  present  sorrows  to  think  of 
the  future,  and  had  he  done  so  it  would  have  made  no  differ- 
ence, as  he  was  always  on  the  alert  when  Frank  was  around. 

The  train  finally  steamed  up,  the  last  good-byes  were  said, 
and  James  was  fairly  launched  upon  the  road  to  his  career 
as  a  physician.  His  mother  was  the  last  to  wave  her  hand- 
kerchief, as  the  train  slowly  pulled  out  of  the  station,  and 
wish  her  boy  God-speed  and  success. 

It  was  with  a  sinking  heart  that  he  watched  the  old 
familiar  landmarks  fade  from  view,  and  a  strange  foreboding 
of  evil  hung  heavily  upon  him  which  he  was  unable  to  shake 
off. 

The  sad  parting  with  Violet  troubled  him  not  a  little,  and 
he  wondered  what  the  outcome  would  be,  little  dreaming  of 
the  terrible  events  to  take  place  in  a  short  time  after  his 
departure. 

Ann  Arbor  was  reached  about  noon,  and  James  went  at 
once  to  his  hotel.  He  was  kept  busy  the  rest  of  the  day 
looking  after  his  luggage  and  straightening  up  and  arrang- 
ing his  room. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Bmt*  in 


While  James  is  beginning  his  college  career  let  us  return 
again  to  Mt.  Vernon. 

His  departure  gave  Frank  a  savage  kind  of  joy  that  was 
more  like  a  wild  beast's  pleasure  than  a  human  being's,  and 
he  resolved  to  take  good  care  that  no  communication  passed 
between  them. 

Violet  tried  to  hide  her  aching  heart  from  the  world  by 
assuming  a  forced  gayety.  She  attended  the  theaters  and  balls 
and  was  the  life  and  light  of  every  party,  and  no  one  ever 
guessed  her  secret  outside  of  the  immediate  family.  Mr. 
Vernon's  eyes  were  opened  to  the  truth  at  last,  and  he  was 
grieved  to  the  heart. 

Frank  was  ever  at  her  side  and  accompanied  her  every- 
where, but  he  was  far  too  wise  to  speak  a  word  of  love  to 
her  yet,  contenting  himself  by  merely  being  her  escort.  He 
bided  his  time  and  laid  a  snare  whereby  he  hoped  to  make 
Violet  his  wife  and  stop  forever  all  danger  of  a  reconcilia- 
tion between  James  and  Violet.  Susanne  had  served  him  BO 
well  that  he  resolved  to  seek  her  aid  again,  and  accordingly 
set  himself  to  watch  her  movements,  and  when  she  left  her 
home  one  afternoon  to  do  some  shopping  uptown  (it  must  be 
remembered  that  Mt.  Vernon  was  but  a  small  city,  and  its 
inhabitants  usually  walked  to  the  business  center),  he  man- 
aged to  overtake  her  as  if  by  accident.  Raising  his  hat,  he 
politely  saluted  her,  suavely  inquiring  after  her  health. 
Susanne  greeted  him,  and  at  once  guessed  that  he  had  some 
object  in  view.  Some  few  moments  were  passed,  and  com- 
monplace remarks  exchanged,  Frank  walking  by  her  side. 
Finally  Susanne  asked  abruptly,  "  Frank,  what  new  scheme 
is  it  that  you  now  have  in  mind  ?  " 

73 


74  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

"  Ah,  Susie !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  how  refreshingly  plain  you 
are !  You  make  my  task  so  much  easier." 

"  Out  with  it,  then !  And  if  you  have  any  plans  as  good  as 
the  last,  you  may  count  on  my  aid." 

They  turned  into  a  side  street,  where  there  was  less  chance 
of  being  interrupted,  and  Frank  unfolded  his  plot,  which  was 
as  follows: 

Susanne  was  to  go  to  Violet  and  tell  her  the  same  tale  that 
had  been  told  in  the  grape  arbor  on  the  night  of  the  party, 
and  ask  Violet's  advice  as  to  what  course  to  pursue.  They 
well  knew  that  Violet  would  advise  her  to  go  to  James  and 
implore  him  to  marry  her.  Susanne  was  to  apparently  follow 
Violefs  advice,  but  in  reality  go  on  a  visit  to  some  relatives 
in  Jackson  City.  She  was  to  remain  a  few  days,  and  then 
return  and  tell  Violet  that  he  had  scorned  and  laughed  at  her 
appeals,  saying  that  he  meant  to  marry  Violet  in  a  few 
months. 

This,  as  a  matter  of  course,  would  harden  Violet's  heart 
toward  him,  and  he  (Frank)  would  manage  to  ask  her  to  be 
his  wife  while  she  was  yet  angry. 

Upon  being  informed  that  Violet  was  alone  almost  any 
afternoon,  Susanne  promised  Frank  she  would  call  upon  her 
the  following  day,  and  then  they  parted,  Frank  retracing  his 
steps  in  the  direction  of  the  bank,  while  Susanne  headed  for 
the  one  department  store  the  town  boasted  of. 

The  next  afternoon  fell  clear  and  bright.  Susanne  stood  in 
a  flood  of  sunlight  on  the  veranda  of  The  Corners,  stylishly 
clad  in  a  dainty  gown  of  white.  Lifting  her  white  silk  sun- 
shade, she  walked  orer  to  Greenwold,  the  distance  being 
hardly  long  enough  to  make  it  necessary  to  order  the  carriage. 

Arriving  at  thQ  Vernon  home,  her  ring  was  answered  by 
old  Uncle  Joe,  and  Susanne  asked  to  see  Miss  Violet.  Violet 
came  down,  looking  very  sweet  in  her  negligee  of  white  silk 
and  lace.  After  greetings  were  exchanged,  Susanne  said, 
"  Violet,  will  you  kindly  grant  me  an  interview  in  some 
secluded  place,  where  there  is  no  danger  of  interruption  ?  " 


THE  DOVE   IN   THE   EAGLETS   NEST.  75 

Violet  kindly  assented,  and  led  her  upstairs  to  her  room  and 
closed  and  locked  the  door  against  all  intrusion. 

"  Violet,"  began  Susanne,  "  I  am  so  miserable  and  unhappy. 
I  have  no  dear,  kind  sister  at  home,  nor  any  trusted  friend 
to  whom  I  feel  as  if  I  could  tell  my  trouble  and  ask  advice, 
and  I  would  rather  die  than  to  tell  my  mother.  So  you  will 
pardon  me  for  coming  to  you,  and  bear  kindly  with  me,  will 
you  not,  dear  Violet  ?  " 

Violet  looked  kindly  at  her.  She  spoke  the  words  so  sin- 
cerely that  Violet's  heart  was  touched,  and  there  was  pity  in 
her  gaze.  Susanne  continued: 

"  You  are  such  a  good,  sweet  girl,  Violet ;  you  are  so  kind 
and  generous-hearted  toward  others,  and  I  know  how  thor- 
oughly trustworthy  you  are  in  keeping  faith  with  others,  and, 
knowing  that  my  secret  would  never  pass  your  lips,  is  it  any 
wonder  that  I  was  tempted  to  come  to  you  for  counsel  and 
advice?  Besides,  Violet,  what  young  girl  in  this  city  have  I 
known  longer  or  could  trust  more  than  you  ?  " 

Susanne  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  her  form 
trembled  as  with  an  excess  of  emotion,  while  she  let  her  head 
droop  a  little,  lightly  touching  Violet's  shoulder.  Violet  laid 
her  hand  gently  on  Susanne's  brown  hair  and  spoke  softly, 
saying  in  a  sympathetic  voice,  "My  poor  girl!  Do  not  be 
afraid  to  tell  me  all,  and  if  my  sympathy  will  give  you  a  slight 
consolation,  you  have  it  all." 

Thus  encouraged,  Susanne  lifted  her  dark  eyes  to  Violet's, 
and,  with  many  tears  and  sobs,  recited  the  story  of  her  wrong- 
doing and  of  her  grief  and  anguish,  begging  Violet  to  more 
pity  than  blame  her,  she  had  suffered  so  much.  When  she 
came  to  James'  name,  Violet's  face  turned  white,  her  eyes 
became  hard  and  stern  for  an  instant,  and  she  pressed  her 
hands  tightly  together.  With  an  effort,  she  controlled  her 
emotion  and  forced  herself  to  speak  calmly  to  Susanne,  advis- 
ing her  to  go  to  Ann  Arbor  and  interview  James  at  once  and 
implore  him  to  save  her  honor  and  marry  her  immediately. 

At  last,  after  gaining  a  promise  from  Violet  to  divulge  her 


76  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

secret  to  no  one,  she  took  her  departure,  Violet  expressing 
her  sympathy  and  kind  offers  of  help  in  any  way  that  she 
might  be  able  to  render  her  assistance. 

Walking  slowly  homeward,  Susanne  was  revolving  in  her 
mind  the  balance  of  her  plan  of  campaign,  a  slow,  sarcastic 
smile  flitting  over  her  lips  as  she  thoughtfully  read  the  address 
on  a  slip  of  white  paper  which  Violet  had  given  her,  mur- 
muring aloud,  "  James  Vernon,  Esq.,  The  Calumet  House, 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan."  "Yes,"  she  continued,  her  smile 
broadening ;  "  I'll  go  to  Ann  Arbor,  but  I  don't  think  I  shall 
present  myself  at  The  Calumet  House,  nor  inquire  for  Mr. 
James  Vernon.  I  will  tell  mother  to-night,"  she  mused,  "  that 
I  am  going  to  take  to-morrow  afternoon's  train  for  Ann  Arbor 
and  expect  to  spend  a  few  days  there  with  my  old  chum, 
Henrietta  Valentine,  who  wrote  me  to  meet  her  there  on  Sat- 
urday morning  and  stay  over  Sunday  with  her  to  attend 
the  special  opening  service  of  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer, 
after  which  she  would  return  to  her  father's  farm  in  Monroe 
County,  and  I  to  The  Corners.  I  am  quite  sure  that  mother 
and  father  will  not  oppose  my  going  nor  question  me  too 
closely.  They  always  let  me  have  my  own  way.  Then  I  think 
I  had  better  go  to  Ann  Arbor  instead  of  Jackson  City.  I 
can  engage  a  room  at  some  hotel  and  stay  in  closely  for  a 
few  days.  It  might  prove  embarrassing  for  me  afterward 
should  Aunt  Emma  refer  to  my  visit  there  and  ma  should  find 
that  I  went  there,  when  I  told  her  I  was  going  to  Ann  Arbor, 
and  it  is  best  to  tell  ma  that  I  am  going  to  the  same  place  as 
Violet  thinks  I  am  bound  for." 

Thinking  thus,  she  finally  reached  home,  and  that  evening 
made  her  excuses  to  her  parents  for  her  visit  to  Ann  Arbor. 

The  next  day  Susanne  hurriedly  made  the  necessary- 
preparations  for  her  journey,  and,  dressed  in  a  neat,  black 
traveling  suit,  and  carrying  a  small  grip  in  her  hand,  she 
wended  her  way  to  the  depot  to  board  the  four  p.m.  train. 
She  had  not  more  than  reached  the  station  platform  when 
her  eye  fell  on  a  tidy  little  phaeton  approaching,  its  sole  occu- 


THE  DOVE   IN   THE   EAGLETS   NEST.  77 

pant  being  Violet  herself,  who  was  driving  her  special  pets,  a 
pair  of  beautiful  little  Shetland  ponies.  Violet  quickly  drove 
up  to  her  side,  and  the  two  girls  had  barely  time  to  exchange 
good-byes  before  Susanne  was  obliged  to  board  the  train 
which  in  a  moment  was  puffing  out  of  the  station. 

On  the  fifth  day  after  her  departure  Susanne  returned  to 
Mt.  Vernon,  reaching  the  town  about  9.00  a.m.  As  she  was 
walking  up  the  street  which  led  to  her  home,  she  met  Frank 
Vernon,  who  greeted  her  cordially,  and  pleasantly  inquired 
how  she  had  enjoyed  herself.  She  sarcastically  replied  that 
Ann  Arbor  was  a  very  pretty  place,  but  she  had  to  imagine 
what  the  most  of  it  looked  like.  Saying  that  she  was  ready  to 
play  the  rest  of  her  little  part,  and  wishing  him  success,  she 
started  to  proceed  on  her  way,  but  was  stopped  by  Prank, 
saying : 

"  Susie,  all  the  folks  at  home  are  going  to  attend  a  large 
social  function  this  evening,  but  I  hardly  think  Violet  will 
go.  If  she  doesn't,  I  will  skip  over  early  in  the  evening  to  let 
you  know,  and  you  go  over  to  interview  her  to-night,  will 
you?" 

"  Yes,  Frank/'  she  answered,  "  I  might  as  well  go  to-night 
as  any  time/' 

With  these  words  she  left  him  and  proceeded  on  her  way 
homeward. 

Everything  favored  their  plans.  That  evening  at  the  sup- 
per table  Violet  excused  herself  from  accompanying  the 
family,  saying  that  she  was  tired  and  did  not  feel  well  from 
the  effects  of  a  slight  cold  she  had  taken  the  night  before 
while  at  the  Grandon's  ball. 

Frank  told  his  father  that  he  wished  to  work  over  his  books 
at  the  bank  that  evening,  and  soon  after  supper  called  on 
Susanne  and  informed  her  that  Violet  would  be  alone  during 
the  evening.  She  was  to  call  on  Violet,  tell  her  of  her  recep- 
tion at  James'  hands,  declare  that  she  meant  to  kill  herself 
and  then  depart,  leaving  the  coast  clear  for  Frank. 

She  felt  there  was  no  chance  of  winning  James  herself,  but 


78  THE    MERCHANT    OF    MT.    VERNON. 

she  took  a  fierce  delight  in  torturing  and  making  trouble  for 
the  girl  whom  she  felt  had  always  stood  between  them. 

The  clock  struck  eight,  and  Violet  sat  alone  in  the  drawing- 
room.  She  was  seated  in  an  easy  rocker,,  her  head  resting 
on  her  hand  and  thinking  so  deeply  that  she  did  not  hear  the 
ring  of  the  door-bell.  The  second  peal  aroused  her,  and  she 
answered  the  summons.  Flinging  back  the  door,  she 
exclaimed,  "  Ah,  Susanne !  So  you  have  returned." 

"  Yes,  and  with  such  despairing  tidings,"  she  murmured, 
in  a  low  voice,  as  Violet  sank  on  the  sofa.  Susanne  threw 
aside  her  wrap  and  seated  herself  on  a  low  stool  at  Violet's 
feet. 

"  Ah,  Violet,  what  is  there  left  for  me  to  do  but  to  die ! " 
she  said  in  a  low,  quivering  voice,  letting  her  head  rest  lightly 
against  Violet's  knee.  "  My  God !  "  she  went  on.  "  I  cannot 
bear  it !  Have  I  sinned  so  that  I  must  needs  suffer  and  drain 
the  cup  of  sorrow  to  its  very  dregs?  Do  I  deserve  to  be  put 
so  completely  aside,  no  grain  of  justice  must  be  meted  out  to 
me  ?  He  is  cruel !  cruel !  shamefully  cruel !  " 

"How  did  he  receive  you?"  asked  Violet  mechanically, 
her  voice  dry  and  hard. 

"  How  did  he  receive  me !  Yes,  indeed,  how  did  he  receive 
me?  Unfeeling  wretch!  He  who  once  pretended  that  he 
loved  me  received  me  with  ridicule  for  seeking  him  at  Ann 
Arbor,  and  laughed  at  my  appeals." 

Violet  sat  looking  straight  before  her,  a  great  pain  tugging 
at  her  heartstrings.  It  was  so  hard  to  really  condemn  the 
man  she  had  loved  so  well.  But  Violet's  nature  was  an  ardent 
worshipper  of  straightforwardness,  loyalty  and  constancy  in 
a  human  being,  and  nothing  shocked  her  sensitive  nature  so 
much  nor  could  so  thoroughly  call  up  her  anger  and  contempt 
for  a  person  as  the  act  of  perpetrating  or  helping  to  bring 
sorrow  and  distress  upon  another  person  and  then  being  dis- 
loyal and  deserting  his  victim,  leaving  them  to  face  their 
despair  alone.  Slowly  an  armor  of  steel  was  encircling  her 


THE  DOVE   IN   THE   EAGLETS   NEST.  79 

heart,  and  she  looked  pityingly  into  Susanne's  tear-stained 
eyes  denouncing  James  bitterly. 

"Yes,"  repeated  Susanne  tremulously,  her  bosom  rising 
and  falling  rapidly ;  "  to  ridicule  me  and  laugh  at  my  appeals ; 
to  have  the  utter  heartlessness  to  order  me  from  his  presence, 
saying  that  he  meant  to  marry  Violet  Vernon  within  a  few 
months ! " 

Susanne  had  risen,  and  at  these  words  a  flash  of  anger 
leaped  from  Violet's  eyes  as  she  sprang  from  her  chair  and 
stood  facing  Susanne.  "  Marry  me,  indeed !  "  she  exclaimed, 
her  voice  full  of  contempt,  while  her  whole  form  trembled 
with  pride  and  anger.  "  We  shall  see  how  near  his  disgusting 
boasts  come  to  the  truth." 

With  a  gesture  of  despair,  Susanne  said,  brokenly,  "Ah, 
Violet,  we  hare  both  been  deceived.  Your  awakening  is  very 
nearly  as  bitter  as  mine,  and  I  dare  say  you  suffer  about  as 
much  as  I  do/'  She  took  a  few  steps  forward,  which  brought 
her  near  the  door.  Turning,  she  lifted  her  dark,  expressive 
eyes  to  Violet's  and  said,  tremulously,  "Ah,  well,  there  is 
nothing  for  me  to  live  for  now,  and  I  cannot  face  the  world 
much  longer,  and  I  will  never  live  to  face  disgrace.  I  swear 
that  before  many  days  pass  over  my  head  I  shall  seek  relief  in 
death,  and  the  only  course  to  pursue  is  to  kill  myself.  Fare- 
well ! " 

She  passed  quickly  through  the  door,  closing  it  behind  her. 

The  stage  remained  minus  a  fine  actress  as  long  as  Susanne 
Rothford  did  not  appear  upon  it. 

Frank  was  waiting  in  the  garden  nearby,  and  when  he  saw 
Susanne  retreating  down  the  path  he  hastily  made  his  way 
to  the  house,  where  he  found  Violet  sitting  on  a  couch  gazing 
straight  before  her,  a  hard,  set  look  upon  her  face,  which 
Frank  had  never  seen  there  before,  and  he  was  really  afraid  of 
her  for  a  moment,  but  muttering,  "  Now  or  never,"  he  sat 
down  beside  her,  and,  taking  her  hand,  he  began: 

"  Violet,   I  forgot  some  papers  and  returned  for  them. 


80  THE  MERCHANT   OF  MT.   VERNON. 

And  I  met  Susanne  as  she  was  leaving  the  house.  Of  course, 
I  cannot  but  guess  as  to  the  import  of  her  visit,  and  I  feel  so 
sorry  for  you  both.  Who  would  have  believed  that  my  beloved 
brother  would  have  turned  out  to  be  such  a  villain  ?  It  nearly 
breaks  my  heart,  and  it  is  killing  you !  " 

"  You  need  not  fear  for  me,"  she  said,  in  a  hard  voice.  "  I 
shall  not  let  it  trouble  me !  " 

"  Oh,  the  villain !  to  ruin  that  poor  girl's  life  and  then 
laugh  at  her  appeals  for  justice !  " 

"  I  hate  him !  hate  him !  hate  him !  But  he  shall  see  that 
I  am  not  breaking  my  heart  over  his  falsity,"  Violet  said, 
passionately. 

"  Frank,"  she  exclaimed,  recklessly,  "  you  once  asked  me  to 
be  your  wife,  and  I  refused;  but  I  have  changed  my  mind 
now,  and  if  you  still  desire  me  to  marry  you,  knowing  as  you 
do  where  my  heart  lies,  I  will  be  your  wife." 

The  villain's  heart  gave  an  exultant  bound,  and  he  hid  his 
face  in  his  hands  to  conceal  the  malicious  smile  that  over- 
spread his  countenance  when  he  heard  her  utter  those  words. 
Still  keeping  his  face  averted,  he  said  in  a  hypocritical  voice, 
"  Violet,  are  you  quite  sure  that  you  know  what  you  are 
saying  ?  " 

"  Yes,  quite  sure,"  she  affirmed,  speaking  in  the  same  hard 
tone.  "  If  you  wish  me  to  marry  you  I  will  do  so,  providing 
the  marriage  takes  place  immediately." 

That  was  just  what  the  young  scoundrel  wanted  above  all 
things,  for  he  was  afraid  that  she  would  change  her  mind 
after  reflecting  the  matter  over. 

Taking  her  hand,  he  said,  "  Violet,  you  have  made  me  the 
happiest  man  on  earth  to-night." 

Receiving  no  answer,  he  ventured  to  put  his  arm  around  her 
slender  form  and  attempted  to  kiss  her,  but  she  drew  away 
with  a  shudder,  and  he  arose  muttering,  "Never  mind,  my 
haughty  lady;  my  turn  will  come  when  we  are  married,  and 
then  you  shall  pay  dearly  for  every  repulse  I  have  met  at  your 
hands.  Aloud  he  said,  "  I  will  leave  you  now,  dearest,  for  you 


THE   DOVE   IN   THE   EAGLETS    NEST.  81 

are  tired,  and  had  better  retire  and  get  a  good  night's  rest." 
Passing  through  the  door,  he  murmured,  "  Good-night,  dear." 

"  Good-night,"  she  replied  absently. 

When  he  had  gone,  she  arose  and  went  to  her  own  apart- 
ments and  threw  herself  on  the  bed  without  disrobing,  but 
sleep  did  not  visit  her  eyes  that  night.  Poor,  deceived  Violet ! 
Could  you  have  but  known  the  misery  your  rash  act  was  to 
inflict  upon  yourself  and  the  noble  man  who  loved  you,  what 
a  different  ending  would  this  tale  have  had ! 

Frank  was  astir  early  the  next  morning,  contrary  to  his 
usual  custom,  and  at  breakfast  announced  that  he  and  Violet 
would  be  married  that  afternoon  and  start  on  their  honey- 
moon trip  at  4.00  p.m.  The  family  was  struck  speechless  with 
surprise,  but  Frank  was  bubbling  over  with  joy  and  merri- 
ment and  laughed  and  joked  at  their  astonishment.  He  went 
to  the  bank  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  his  depart- 
ure, and  then  went  forth  to  engage  the  services  of  a  minister. 
In  those  days  there  was  no  such  formality  as  the  marriage 
license. 

Violet  did  not  appear  until  later  in  the  forenoon.  Her 
cheeks  were  flushed  and  there  was  an  unwonted  brilliancy  in 
her  eyes.  She  apologized  for  the  abruptness  of  their  marriage, 
saying  that  they  had  made  up  their  minds  quite  suddenly. 

Poor  Mrs.  Vernon  suspected  all  was  not  right,  but  she  was 
powerless  and  could  do  nothing.  It  was  with  a  heavy  heart 
that  she  set  about  making  the  preparations  for  the  forthcom- 
ing wedding.  Mary  was  more  outspoken,  and  declared  she 
believed  they  were  both  crazy,  but  Frank  only  laughed  at  her. 
He  could  afford  to  be  forgiving  now.  The  game  was  as  good 
as  won.  Mr.  Vernon  said  nothing.  It  had  always  been  his 
dearest  wish  that  James  and  Violet  would  some  day  be  united 
in  marriage,  and  it  had  never  entered  his  mind  that  she  and 
Frank  would  ever  bear  that  relationship  to  each  other.  He 
was  greatly  puzzled  at  the  rapid  changes  which  were  taking 
place  of  late,  but  was  powerless  as  was  Mrs.  Vernon  to  do  any- 
thing in  regard  to  them. 


82  THE   MEKCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

The  ceremony  took  place  at  3.00  p.m.,  and  no  person  out- 
side of  the  immediate  family,  and  the  servants,  who  retired 
to  a  far  corner  of  the  drawing-room,  witnessed  it.  Mr.  Ver- 
non  gave  the  bride  away,  and  Mary  acted  as  bridesmaid,  much 
against  her  will. 

Elph  refused  to  be  present  at  all,  and  upon  learning  of  the- 
forthcoming  marriage  he  hurried  away  to  the  woods  and  did 
not  put  in  an  appearance  for  three  days,  loyal  little  fellow  to 
James  that  he  was ! 

Violet  was  as  pale  as  death,  and  her  responses  were  so  low 
and  tremulous  that  the  man  of  God  had  to  bend  his  head  to 
catch  her  words.  When  the  words,  "  Do  you  promise  to  love, 
honor  and  obey  ?  "  were  reached,  she  faltered  and  would  have 
fallen,  but  Frank  sustained  her,  saying  in  an  undertone, 
"Don't  be  a  fool!" 

She  aroused  herself  with  an  effort  and  managed  to  go 
through  the  rest  of  the  ceremony  without  faltering,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  they  were  being  whirled  toward  the  depot. 

They  visited  several  of  the  Western  States,  even  penetrating 
to  far  west  Colorado,  but  even  the  lofty  Eocky  Mountains  of 
that  beautiful  State  had  no  interest  for  her,  and  nothing 
seemed  to  be  able  to  arouse  her  out  of  her  apathy.  'Frank 
tried  every  means  to  arouse  her,  but  made  a  dismal  failure  of 
it,  and  finally,  losing  patience,  he  grew  sulky  and  started  for 
home.  There  a  beautiful  little  cottage  overlooking  the  river 
had  been  prepared  for  them  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vernon. 

Mrs.  Vernon  had  arranged  the  interior  with  her  own  hands, 
Mary  refusing  to  have  anything  whatever  to  do  with  it,  saying 
it  was  a  shame  the  way  Violet  had  treated  James.  Her  mother 
remonstrated  with  her,  but  Mary  was  stubborn,  and  firmly 
stood  her  ground,  and  she  finally  gave  up,  and  with  a  sigh  said, 
"  Well,  I  hope  all  will  come  right  in  the  end." 

Mary,  with  a  disdainful  shrug  of  her  shapely  shoulders, 
remarked,  "  It  is  all  wrong  from  beginning  to  end,  and  there 
is  a  mystery  here  which  I  mean  to  solve." 

Frank's  parents  and  his  sister  were  at  the  depot  to  meet 


THE  DOVE   IN   THE  EAGLETS   NEST.  83 

them  on  their  return,  and  they  immediately  escorted  them  to 
their  new  home. 

The  travelers  laid  aside  their  wraps  and  baggage,  refreshed 
themselves  by  a  thorough  application  of  soap  and  water  and  a 
touch  of  eau  de  cologne,  after  brushing  well  their  dusty  gar- 
ments, and  then  repaired  to  the  beautifully-appointed  little 
drawing-room.  The  family  group  had  conversed  but  a  few 
moments  when  the  folding  doors  of  the  dining-room  were 
thrown  open,  and  Aunt  Lizzie's  shining  face  smiled  at  them 
from  the  archway.  With  a  courtesy  to  Frank  and  Violet,  she 
said: 

"  Welcome,  Marse  Frank  and  Missy  Violet,  and  Ise  indeed 
very  glad  to  see  you  home  again  safe  and  well.  Ole  Missy 
Vernon  desired  to  have  youse  eat  yuh  first  meal  upon  arriving 
in  de  town  in  yuh  new  home,  and  I  done  spec'ally  requested 
the  pleasure  of  preparing  it  for  yuh.  Will  yuh  please  to  come 
dis  way  ?  "  waving  her  hand  toward  the  dining-room,  "  and 
also  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  partake  of  my  pooh  efforts  ?  " 

Violet  took  her  old  mammy's  hand  and  thanked  her  warmly 
for  her  kind  thoughtfulness,  and  Frank  smiled  at  her  and 
thanked  her  kindly.  Frank  and  Violet  then  led  the  way  into 
the  dining-room,  and  the  party  seated  themselves  at  the 
splendidly-arrayed  table,  which  shone  with  silver  and  cut  glass. 
The  decorations  were  simple,  but  beautiful,  and  were  in  purple 
and  white.  The  center  piece  was  a  beautiful  "  Hearts  and 
Flowers  "  done  in  violets.  On  either  end  of  the  table  stood 
tall  vases  of  lovely  white  roses,  exhaling  their  delicate  perfume 
around  the  room.  The  little  party  did  ample  justice  to  the 
dainty,  appetizing  viands  which  Aunt  Lizzie  placed  before 
them. 

When  luncheon  was  over  Mr.  Vernon  showed  them  about  the 
house,  and  both  Frank  and  Violet  admired  the  tastefully  and 
well-appointed  rooms. 

Upon  coming  to  the  window  overlooking  the  old  dam,  he 
called  his  son's  attention  to  the  picturesque  view. 

As  Frank  looked  upon  that  scene  a  vision  of  a  girl  pleading 


84  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VEKNON. 

for  life,  love  and  justice  arose  in  his  mind,  and  then  the  wild, 
horrible  struggle  on  the  brink  of  the  rushing  waters,  followed 
by  a  sickening  splash  and  then — silence! 

With  a  sickening  sense  of  guilt  and  fear,  he  sank  into  a 
chair.  Mr.  Vernon  quickly  sprang  to  his  side,  saying,  "  What 
is  the  matter,  my  son  ?  Are  you  ill  ?  " 

"  No !  no !  it  is  nothing ;  only  a  dizziness  caused  by  my 
long  journey  on  the  train."  Eecovering  himself  with  an  effort, 
he  stepped  out  on  the  veranda  with  his  father  and  made  a 
pretense  of  admiring  the  beautiful  lawns. 

They  soon  took  their  leave,  believing  that  Frank  was  tired 
out  and  needed  rest,  and  in  truth  they  both  did. 

It  was  decided  that  Hattie  and  Tobias  should  live  with 
Frank,  Hattie  to  do  the  cooking  and  Tobias  to  be  man  of  all 
work,  and  Mrs.  Vernon  employ  white  persons  to  fill  their 
places  in  her  establishment. 

As  soon  as  they  were  alone  Frank  put  his  arms  about  Violet, 
saying,  "  Welcome  home,  little  wife,  and  may  our  home  be  a 
peaceful  and  happy  one." 

For  the  first  time  a  feeling  of  tenderness  toward  Frank 
entered  her  heart,  and  she  put  her  arms  around  his  neck  and 
said,  "  Frank,  I  will  try  to  make  our  home  a  happy  one !  " 

A  look  of  joy  overspread  his  face,  for,  with  all  his  faults, 
he  loved  her,  loved  her  madly  with  a  love  that  was  fatal  to 
him  and  all  who  came  between  them. 

For  the  first  time  she  noticed  how  pale  he  had  grown  of  late, 
and  her  conscience  smote  her.  "  How  he  loves  me,"  she  mused 
to  herself.  "  I  am  now  his  wife  and  I  will  try  to  make  him 
as  happy  as  I  can." 

Ah !  could  she  have  but  known  that  his  paleness  was  caused 
by  fear  as  the  memory  of  that  fatal  April  night  came  rushing 
to  his  mind.  Not  that  he  had  ever  forgotten!  Ofttimes  in 
the  midst  of  his  slumbers  he  would  start  up  with  a  shudder  of 
fear,  that  last  wild  cry  of  Marguerite  ringing  in  his  ears. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


With  the  reader's  kind  permission  we  will  leave  Frank  and 
Violet  to  begin  their  wedded  life  in  peace  while  we  once 
more  take  up  the  thread  of  James'  career  as  he  enters 
college. 

His  prowess  as  an  athlete  was  well  known,  as  he  had  taken 
part  in  several  contests  in  various  parts  of  the  State  before 
entering  college. 

He  had  little  heart  left  for  sports  now,  but  there  was  no 
chance  to  escape  from  it,  and  he  was  elected  captain  of  the 
baseball  team,  and  his  pitching  soon  made  him  the  pet  and 
pride  of  the  University. 

A  rival  team  from  the  University  of  Ohio  had  won  the 
pennant  for  the  past  two  years.  Wilford  Ellis,  an  Ohio 
student,  and  a  famous  athlete,  had  been  the  cause  of  the 
Ohio  team  winning  all  the  games  for  the  past  two  years. 
This  was  his  last  year  at  college,  and  he  determined  to  finish 
his  college  career  with  the  greatest  victory  he  had  yet 
achieved,  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  things  did  look 
pretty  blue  for  Ann  Arbor  until  James  arrived.  His  pitch- 
ing was  the  marvel  of  the  University,  and  the  hopes  of  all 
were  built  upon  his  skill  with  the  ball.  "  Vernon,"  they 
would  say,  "will  surely  set  us  up  straight  this  time." 

Both  colleges  determined  to  make  a  supreme  effort  to  win 
the  pennant  this  year,  and  the  series  of  games  scheduled  to 
take  place  promised  to  be  the  most  exciting  in  the  history  of 
the  Universities. 

On  the  same  day  that  James  was  elected  captain  of  the 
baseball  team  Frank  and  Violet  were  united  in  marriage. 
As  he  proudly  led  his  team  to  the  diamond  for  the  first  time 
he  little  dreamed  that  his  little  lost  sweetheart  at  home  was 

85 


86  THE    MERCHANT    OF    MT.    VERNON. 

at  that  very  hour  breathing  the  solemn  vows  which  made  her 
the  bride  of  another. 

A  few  days  later  a  newspaper  clipping  announcing  the 
marriage  of  Frank  and  Violet  was  sent  him  by  his  father, 
not  one  of  the  family  having  the  courage  to  pen  the  bitter 
words  themselves.  Had  a  bolt  of  lightning  fallen  from  a 
clear  sky  he  could  not  have  been  more  surprised,  and  the 
news  utterly  crushed  that  proud  spirit. 

He  had  not  even  dreamed  that  Violet  would  do  such  a 
thing,  although  he  was  well  aware  that  she  believed  him  to 
be  false  to  her.  Many  a  sleepless  night  he  spent  after  read- 
ing that  fatal  bit  of  newspaper  clipping,  which  meant  so 
much  to  him,  severing  him  forever  from  the  woman  who  was 
all  the  world  to  him. 

There  were  many  strangers  in  the  city  trying  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  great  pitcher  at  work. 

Old  baseball  fans  had  at  first  laughed  at  the  idea  of  the 
junior  being  pitted  against  the  seasoned  veteran  of  three 
years,  but  the  two  previous  games  had  opened  their  eyes  and 
betting  was  at  fever  height.  It  started  out  at  three  to  one 
in  favor  of  the  Ohio  team,  but  on  the  day  of  the  great  game 
it  dropped  to  even  money,  so  confident  were  the  followers  of 
each  team. 

The  faculty  forbade  any  wagers  being  made  on  the  ball 
grounds,  but  plenty  of  bets  were  made  in  spite  of  the  pre- 
cautions. 

The  city  of  Mt.  Vernon  was  nearly  depopulated  on  the 
day  of  the  great  ball  game.  A  general  holiday  was  declared, 
and  everybody  went  who  could  raise  the  carfare.  James  had 
been  a  universal  favorite  at  home,  and  they  all  went  to  cheer 
him  on  to  victory. 

Such  a  thing  as  defeat  was  not  to  be  tolerated  in  Mt.  Ver- 
non, and  any  one  daring  to  venture  an  opinion  otherwise  was 
in  danger  of  sustaining  great  bodily  harm. 

Elph  was  James'  most  ardent  admirer,  and  it  would  not 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  87 

have  been  safe  to  mention  defeat  in  that  young  gentleman's 
presence. 

All  the  Vernon  family  went,  including  Uncle  Joe,  Aunt 
Lizzie,  Tobias,  Hattie,  and  the  imp  as  a  matter  of  course. 
He  would  have  gone  if  he  had  been  obliged  to  have  walked 
all  the  way.  But  that  young  gentleman  had  shown  an 
unusual  zeal  in  fishing  of  late,  and  he  had  saved  up  about 
seven  dollars,  which  was  bet  in  Ann  Arbor  at  even  money 
with  a  colored  barber  of  Ohio,  a  great  admirer  of  Wilford 
Ellis. 

Frank  had  to  go  and  take  Violet,  of  course;  but  it  was  with 
a  wish  to  see  James  defeated  and  humiliated  in  her  eyes  that 
he  went. 

Since  their  marriage  they  had  been  drifting  steadily  apart, 
in  spite  of  all  Violet's  good  resolutions  to  be  a  true  wife  to 
him  in  every  sense  of  the  word  and  make  him  happy.  She 
tried,  God  knows  how  hard,  but  it  was  impossible,  and  her 
indifference  aroused  all  of  his  old-time  jealousy  of  his 
brother,  and  they  quarreled  openly  several  times,  Frank 
accusing  her  of  still  loving  her  false  lover,  which  Violet 
neither  affirmed  nor  denied. 

Several  times,  when  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  which 
was  often  of  late,  he  threatened  to  strike  her,  but  there  was 
a  calm,  quiet  dignity  about  her  which  warned  him  not  to  go 
too  far. 

What  Violet's  feelings  were,  at  the  prospect  of  going  to 
Ann  Arbor,  can  be  better  imagined  than  described.  The 
mad  desire  to  see  him,  and  the  mingling  of  fear  and  dread 
lest  she  should  break  down  entirely,  entertaining  the  de- 
cision not  to  go,  struggled  for  supremacy  in  her  bosom.  A 
few  remarks  made  by  her  husband  while  intoxicated,  and  his 
strange  fright  at  times,  had  caused  her  to  half  believe  she 
had  fallen  the  victim  of  a  vile  plot,  and  she  bitterly  re- 
proached herself  for  promising  to  become  his  wife  against 
all  her  better  nature  and  woman's  instinct;  but  Frank  had 


88  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

played  his  cards  well  and  she  was  cleverly  trapped  and  now 
helpless,  for  they  had  been  married  nearly  seven  months  and 
she  was  soon  to  become  a  mother. 

The  Mt.  Vernon  train  arrived  at  Ann  Arbor  at  11.30  a.m., 
on  the  day  of  the  great  game,  and  James  was  at  the  depot  to 
meet  them.  With  a  steady  voice  he  congratulated  Frank 
and  Violet,  and  wished  them  much  happiness. 

Frank  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  placing  his  arm 
about  the  waist  of  Violet,  said  with  a  smile,  "  We  are  as 
happy  as  two  doves,  are  we  not,  little  wife?  "  The  movement 
caused  a  spasm  of  pain  to  shoot  through  the  heart  of  poor 
James.  She  looked  so  pale  and  wan,  unconsciously  repel- 
ling the  advances  of  Frank.  Ah,  how  different  had  she 
looked  when  his  arms  had  been  about  her  hundreds  of  times 
in  the  past,  a  past  which  is  but  a  dream  now,  and  the  bitter 
awakening  only  just  beginning  to  make  itself  felt  to  both  of 
those  loving  hearts,  which  by  every  law  of  nature  should  have 
been  united. 

She  looked  so  white  and  ill  James  feared  she  was  going  to 
faint,  and  he  was  about  to  hasten  for  a  glass  of  water  when 
his  brother  stopped  him,  saying  that  the  attack  was  momen- 
tarily caused  by  her  somewhat  poor  health  of  late,  and  the 
excitement  of  the  journey  and  game  was  a  little  too  much 
for  her.  "  With  a  little  rest,"  he  remarked,  "  she  will  be  all 
right  and  able  to  cheer  with  the  rest  of  them  for  the  victory 
of  Ann  Arbor."  But  under  his  breath  he  muttered  a  deep 
curse,  wishing  the  defeat  of  his  brother  and  devoutly  hoping 
he  would  somehow  manage  to  break  his  neck  in  the  coming 
scrimmage. 

The  party  repaired  to  a  hotel,  when  dinner  was  partaken 
of,  and  then  went  to  the  ball  grounds,  where  a  little  prelimi- 
nary practice  was  done  by  both  teams  before  the  game  was 
called. 

During  a  lull  in  the  practice  James  made  his  way  to  the 
grand  stand,  where  they  were  sitting.  Frank  opened  the  dis- 
course by  saying  that  after  seeing  the  rival  team  it  was  his 


COLLEGE   LIFE.  89 

candid  opinion  the  Michigan  team  did  not  stand  the  ghost 
of  a  show,  which  only  caused  James  to  smile  and  say, 
"  Wait." 

Frank's  remark  seemed  to  anger  Violet,  who  aroused  her- 
self from  her  usual  indifference  long  enough  to  say: 

"  He  has  never  been  defeated  in  a  contest  yet,  and  I  would 
stake  my  very  life  that  he  won't  be  this  time!  " 

James  said  nothing,  but  the  look  in  his  eyes  as  they  met 
hers  seemed  to  say,  "  I  have  lost  the  one  great  contest  that 
made  life  worth  living."  But  the  thought  that  he  still  held 
a  small  share  of  her  confidence  made  him  resolve  to  win  in 
spite  of  the  heavy  odds  which  he  knew  were  against  him. 

Frank  said  lightly,  although  there  was  a  dangerous  gleam 
in  his  eyes,  "  I  have  not  heard  you  speak  so  enthusiastically 
for  several  months  upon  any  subject." 

Her  old-time  spirits  seemed  to  return,  and  she  exclaimed, 
<e  Who  is  there  here  that  is  not  enthusiastic?  Is  this  not  the 
day  when  Michigan  shall  do  herself  proud,  and  who  but  our 
dear  Jimmie  shall  lead  them  on  to  victory?  " 

"Hurrah  for  Ann  Arbor!"  shouted  little  Elph,  rising  in 
his  seat,  unable  to  keep  still  any  longer.  The  shout  was 
taken  up  by  the  rooters  of  the  Michigan  University,  and  a 
defiant  shout  was  hurled  back  from  the  ranks  of  the  Ohio 
supporters. 

Seeing  the  impression  the  imp  had  made  on  the  crowd, 
Mr.  Vernon  raised  him  up  at  arm's  length,  telling  him  to 
hurrah  for  Michigan  again. 

This  caused  a  great  shout  to  go  up  of  "  The  mascot!  the 
mascot! "  and  instantly  a  dozen  eager  hands  were  raised  to 
catch  the  imp  and  hurry  him  off  to  a  seat  of  honor.  The 
pennant  was  placed  in  his  hands,  which  he  took  as  a  matter 
of  course,  and  seemed  to  feel  the  full  importance  of  his; 
position.  He  did  not  forget  to  turn  around  and  grin  sar- 
donically at  Aunt  Lizzie,  however.  That  old  lady  was  too 
wrought  up  now,  however,  to  let  such  a  trifle  ruffle  her  feel- 
ings, and  seemed  glad  to  see  the  imp  at  the  post  of  honor. 


90  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

"Rubbish,"  muttered  Frank,  contemptuously,  under  his 
breath,  but  not  so  low  as  to  escape  the  sharp  ears  of  Mary, 
who  said: 

"  Why,  brother,  you  act  as  if  you  really  wanted  to  see  our 
team  defeated." 

"  Nonsense,"  replied  Frank.  "  Of  course,  I  want  them  to 
win,  but  this  tomfoolery  positively  makes  me  sick." 

"  Well,  it  don't  me,"  said  Violet,  "  and  I  mean  to  cheer 
myself  hoarse  every  time  the  Michigan  team  scores." 

"  Well,  you  will  be  spared  the  suffering  of  much  hoarse- 
ness, then,  for  if  I  am  not  mistaken  they  will  not  be  able  to 
make  a  single  score  against  that  great,  strong  team  from 
Ohio.  Why,  every  man  of  them  outweighs  the  Michigan 
team  by  at  least  several  pounds,  and  they've  got  the  best 
pitcher  in  the  country." 

" Pardon  me,"  said  Violet;  "that  is  simply  a  matter  of 
opinion,  which  will  be  decided  in  a  very  short  while.  For  my 
part,  I  think  James  made  by  far  the  best  showing  in  the 
exercise  a  short  while  ago." 

"  You  are  wilfully  blind  to-day,"  said  Frank,  savagely,  los- 
ing all  self-control,  and  a  scene  was  probably  narrowly 
averted  by  the  umpire  calling  time. 

Short  speeches  were  made  by  the  presidents  of  both  Uni- 
versities, and  the  game  opened  up  with  the  Ohio  team  in  the 
field  and  the  home  team  at  the  bat. 

The  ball  whizzed  over  the  plate  with  the  speed  of  a  verita- 
ble cannon  ball,  and  one  batter  after  another  was  struck  out 
in  quick  succession  by  the  champion  of  Ohio.  A  prolonged 
"  Ah! "  went  up  from  the  Ohio  delegation  as  each  batter 
resumed  his  seat  and  another  quickly  took  his  place. 

Three  men  were  struck  at  the  plate  without  a  single  hit, 
which  caused  a  great  shout  of  laughter  and  derision  from 
the  rival  rooters,  but  it  was  answered  as  defiantly  as  ever  by 
the  home  team,  although  some  began  to  look  a  little  glum. 

As  the  teams  changed  places,  and  James  took  his  place  in 
the  box,  the  imp  arose  and  delivered  the  following  speech: 


COLLEGE   LIFE.  91 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  Marse  Jimmie  will  now  give  you 
an  exhibition  of  his  wonderful  pitching,  which  will  consist 
of  putting  nine  balls  directly  over  the  plate  and  not  letting 
any  of  the  batters  to  strike  them,  which  action  will  be  an 
exact  duplicate  of  what  Marse  Will  has  just  done." 

The  last  speech  of  the  imp  simply  brought  the  house 
-down.  It  caused  the  whole  audience  to  be  convulsed  with 
laughter,  and  a  large,  black-whiskered  man  in  the  crowd 
shouted  out: 

"  You  little  black  cuss,  if  he  can  do  that  times  enough  to 
win  this  game,  HI  buy  you  the  best  suit  of  clothes  in  Ann 
Arbor.  I  have  two  thousand  dollars  bet  that  Ann  Arbor 
wins." 

"Well,  dat  am  my  suit  of  clothes  all  right  'nough,"  re- 
turned the  imp,  as  if  the  matter  was  already  settled  and  he 
was  strutting  about  the  streets  of  Mt.  Vernon  showing  his 
trophy  of  the  ball  game. 

"  Play  ball/'  shouted  the  umpire  at  this  point,  putting  a 
stop  to  further  conversation. 

The  eyes  of  James  wandered  over  the  vast  throng  in  the 
grand  stand  and  met  those  of  Violet,  fixed  upon  him  with 
a  look  that  made  him  forget  she  now  belonged  to  another. 
A  little  white  handkerchief  was  waved  at  him,  and  forget- 
ting all  else  save  that  look  and  a  grim  desire  to  win  now  at 
all  hazards,  he  threw  the  ball,  straight  and  swift  as  an  arrow, 
directly  over  the  plate.  The  move  was  so  quick,  and  the  ball 
was  thrown  so  hard,  that  the  batter  had  not  time  to  even 
raise  his  bat.  The  umpire  shouted  in  a  hoarse  voice,  "  Strike 
one!  "  A  prolonged  "  Ah!  "  was  heard  from  the  wearers  of 
the  blue,  the  Michigan  team.  (The  Ohio  team  chose  yellow 
for  their  color.) 

The  catcher  threw  the  ball  back.  The  batter  gritted  his 
teeth,  struck  his  bat  on  the  ground  defiantly,  and  dared 
James  to  throw  another  ball  just  like  it.  James  seemed  to 
take  the  challenge,  for  the  ball  whizzed  straight  for  the 
plate.  The  batter  got  ready  to  fairly  knock  the  cover  off. 


92  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

but  lo!  when  within  a  few  feet  of  him  it  suddenly  shot  toward 
him,  and  he  hastily  stepped  back  and  the  ball  flew  past.  The 
umpire  in  a  hoarse  voice  again  called  out,  "Strike  two!" 
Another  prolonged  "Ah!"  from  the  blue,  a  yell  of  delight 
from  the  imp,  and  the  ball  was  again  tossed  back  to  the 
pitcher. 

James'  eyes  again  wandered  to  the  grand  stand,  a  little 
white  handkerchief  was  once  more  waved  and  the  ball  again 
shot  straight  as  an  arrow  over  the  base,  fooling  the  batter, 
who  was  now  on  the  lookout  for  the  much-talked-of  curves- 
of  the  Michigan  pitcher. 

"  Strike  three  and  the  batter  out,"  shouted  the  umpire 
once  more. 

The  batter  took  his  place  on  the  benches  and  another  took 
up  his  position,  only  to  share  a  like  fate.  The  third  one 
fared  no  better  than  his  brethren,  and  the  teams  again 
changed  places,  neither  side  scoring  the  slightest  advantage 
thus  far. 

It  now  seemed  to  be  purely  a  pitcher's  battle,  and  was 
growing  a  little  monotonous  for  the  rest  of  the  players,  who 
were  beginning  to  wish  something  would  happen  to  enable 
them  to  win  a  few  laurels. 

The  game  progressed  nearly  in  the  same  manner  for  seven 
innings,  neither  side  being  able  to  reach  first  base,  although 
one  hit  on  each  side  was  made. 

Never  before  had  such  ball  playing  been  seen  in  the  State, 
and  the  excitement  was  intense,  people  shouting,  laughing, 
gesticulating  and  cheering  the  players  on  to  victory,  the 
only  cool  persons  on  the  grounds  being  the  two  pitchers,  who 
remained  as  cool  and  calm  as  if  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary 
had  happened.  It  was  purely  a  question  of  endurance  now 
between  them,  although  the  stalwart  figure  of  the  Ohio  man 
seemed  bound  to  win  in  the  end,  being  fully  twenty-five- 
pounds  heavier  than  his  opponent,  and  the  muscles  stood  out 
on  his  brawny,  dark  arms  like  huge  whip  cords. 

The  fair  white  arms  of  James,  although  large  and  well 


COLLEGE   LIFE.  93 

proportioned,  looked  like  mere  reeds  when  compared  to  his 
rival's,  but  the  sinewy  muscles  concealed  beneath  his  white 
skin  were  like  bands  of  solid  steel,  and  one  had  but  to  grasp 
them  in  their  hands  to  realize  the  enormous  strength  and 
endurance  that  lay  beneath  the  exterior. 

In  the  eighth  inning  the  Ohio  team  scored  one  tally.  The 
batter  got  to  first  base  on  a  dead  ball,  and  another  got  a  base 
on  balls.  This  left  a  man  on  first  and  another  on  second 
base,  with  the  heaviest  batter  of  the  Ohio  team  at  the  bat; 
in  fact,  it  was  this  same  batter  who  scored  the  only  hit 
in  the  game  so  far. 

They  had  thrown  two  balls.  One  was  declared  a  strike  by 
the  umpire  and  one  a  ball. 

The  third  whizzed  through  with  dizzy  speed,  but  the  bat- 
ter managed  to  connect  somehow  with  the  ball  and  knocked 
it  to  left  field,  where  it  was  stopped  by  the  fielder,  who  threw 
it  to  the  pitcher's  box,  but  the  ball  flew  high  and  sped  over 
James'  head  and  toward  the  grand  stand,  with  the  man  on 
second  base  now  around  on  the  home  stretch.  James  ran  to 
the  home  plate  while  the  catcher  pursued  the  ball,  but  he 
was  too  late  to  stop  the  runner,  who  sprawled  on  the  home 
plate  just  as  the  catcher  threw  the  ball  to  James.  This  gave 
the  Ohio  team  the  advantage.  It  was  now  the  eighth  inning 
and  they  had  one  tally  with  two  men  on  bases,  one  on  second 
base  and  the  other  on  the  third. 

The  pitcher  of  the  rival  team  came  to  the  bat  and  chal- 
lenged James  to  throw  one  over  the  plate  so  that  he  could 
knock  the  cover  off. 

The  excitement  was  now  intense.  With  two  men  on  bases 
and  one  tally  to  nothing,  it  was  looking  exceedingly  blue  for 
the  University  of  Michigan. 

The  Ohio  rooters  were  howling  themselves  hoarse,  but 
they  were  still  answered  defiantly  by  the  Wolverines.  The 
fat  man  was  now  wildly  excited  and  arose  from  his  seat, 
shouting,  "  Hold  them  down,  young  man!  Hold  them  down, 
young  man!  Five  hundred  dollars  is  yours  if  you  beat 
them/' 


94  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

"Don't  you  worry  'bout  dat,  Mr.  fat  man,"  bawled  out 
the  imp.  "  We's  gest  agoing  to  win  dis  hereh  game  in  a 
walk.  Why,  Marse  James  is  only  fooling  with  dem  fellers. 
Jest  you  wait  till  de  next  round  of  dis  hereh  fight;  we's 
agoing  to  make  dem  Buckeye  fellers  look  like  thirty-cent 
pieces." 

There  were  some,  however,  who  were  not  so  sanguine,  for 
they  remembered  the  eight  hard-fought  innings  with  no 
scores  on  either  side. 

The  batter  waved  his  bat  defiantly  at  the  pitcher.  He  now 
imagined  James  was  about  fagged  out,  and  it  would  be  easy 
to  find  him.  He  was  sadly  disappointed,  for  James  was  now 
desperate.  Three  balls  were  thrown  directly  over  the  plate 
in  quick  succession,  with  a  savage  fury  that  exceeded  all  of 
the  pitching  done  thus  far  during  the  game. 

The  umpire  called  the  first  one  a  strike,  and  the  batter 
framed  the  air  the  last  two,  leaving  the  two  men  to  die  on 
bases. 

The  teams  changed  places  once  more.  It  was  the  home 
team's  last  chance  to  score,  while  the  Ohio  team  had  yet 
another  chance.  The  first  batter  was  struck  out,  but  Slim, 
the  second  batter,  got  a  base  on  a  dead  ball,  and  James  came 
to  the  plate.  It  was  now  the  last  chance  to  win  the  game, 
but  there  was  small  hope,  for  even  should  he  succeed  in  con- 
necting with  the  Ohio  man's  dizzy  curves,  he  would  have  to 
make  a  home  run.  The  next  to  bat  was  Felix  Murphy,  a 
first-class  second  base  man,  but  his  one  weak  point  was  being 
a  poor  batter,  and  there  was  absolutely  no  chance  whatever 
of  any  assistance  from  that  source. 

The  first  two  balls  thrown  were  too  high  and  the  umpire 
called  out  two  balls.  The  third  and  fourth  were  strikes. 
Nearly  every  one  had  now  given  up  all  hope  of  Michigan 
winning  the  game. 

The  fat  man  arose  in  his  seat  and  bawled  out,  "  Young 
man,  you  have  done  well,  but  the  other  fellow  was  too  big 
and  strong  for  you.  I  have  lost  two  thousand  dollars,  but 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  95 

I  don't  regret  the  bet,  and  would  bet  another  two  thousand 
even  money  on  another  game.  It  is  the  greatest  ball  game 
I  ever  witnessed." 

A  cheer  greeted  this  speech,  but  the  imp  instantly  arose, 
mad  as  a  hornet. 

"  See  hereh,  you  big,  good-f or-nothin'  stiff,"  he  shouted, 
"who  tole  you  we  done  gwine  to  lose  dis  hereh  game?  Is 
you  trying  to  get  out  ob  buying  dat  air  suit  of  clothes?  If 
you  is,  youse  gwine  to  habe  trouble  with  dis  hereh  young 
col'od  gentleman  cause  Fs  a  man  ob  honor  and  allus  pays 
when  I  loses  and  wants  ma  dough  when  I  wins.  Marse 
James  is  gwine  to  make  a  home  run  dis  next  time." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,  young  man,  you'll  get  your  suit  of 
clothes  and  a  gold  watch  in  the  bargain." 

"Golly,  am  dat  so?"  shouted  the  imp.  "Well,  just  wait 
until  Marse  Jimmie  makes  this  home  run." 

These  remarks  were  greeted  with  a  yell  of  derision  by  the 
crowd  of  Ohio  rooters,  who  now  thought  there  was  not  a 
ghost  of  a  show  for  the  Michigan  team. 

James'  eyes  once  more  wandered  to  the  sea  of  faces  in 
the  grand  stand,  where  Violet  and  the  rest  of  the  family 
were  sitting.  He  saw  the  face  of  Frank  light  up  with  a  cruel 
smile,  while  Violet's  face  was  deathly  pale  with  anger. 
Frank  saw  James  looking  at  them  at  that  moment,  and  said 
something  to  Violet.  She  turned  her  head,  and  seeing 
James  gazing  at  her,  spellbound,  she  arose  from  her  seat, 
but  was  quickly  pulled  back  by  Frank.  James  watched 
closely  and  he  saw  Frank  look  at  her  sternly  and  say  some- 
thing to  her,  the  import  of  which  James  had  to  guess. 

All  this  transpired  in  much  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell 
it.  The  Ohio  pitcher  had  seen  the  little  by-play  going  on  in 
the  grand  stand,  and  was  so  interested  a  spectator  that  he 
neglected  to  throw  the  ball  during  this  short  space  of  time; 
in  fact,  let  the  man  on  first  base  steal  down  to  second  base. 
Had  he  thrown  the  ball,  the  result  of  the  game  would  have 
been  much  different.  James  was  so  dumfounded  at  the  scene 


96  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

enacted  before  his  eyes  that  in  all  probability  the  pitcher  could 
have  thrown  the  ball  and  he  would  not  have  been  prepared 
to  strike  at  it.  But  he  was  now,  however,  for  he  saw  the  look 
in  his  brother's  eyes  and  the  cruel  desire  on  Frank's  part  to  see 
him  defeated  and  humiliated  in  Violet's  eyes. 

Even  had  he  lost  the  game,  it  would  have  made  him  none 
the  less  popular.  The  gallant  fight  he  put  up  against  the 
heretofore  invincible  Ohio  man  who  had  enjoyed  easy  vic- 
tories over  all  his  antagonists  so  far  would  have  won  him  the 
admiration  of  the  base-ball  fans  of  both  sides. 

The  umpire  was  getting  impatient  by  now  and  called  out, 
"  Play  ball/'  The  Ohio  champion  doubled  himself  up  like  a 
jack-knife,  threw  the  ball  with  a  downward  shoot,  nearly 
touching  the  plate.  James'  bat  flew  back  quick  as  lightning ; 
there  was  a  swish,  a  sharp  report  as  the  bat  struck  the  ball 
fairly.  Away  sped  the  ball,  far  over  the  heads  of  the  outfield- 
ers, who,  seeing  the  ball  was  bound  to  pass  them,  made  a  wild 
run  for  it.  Further  and  further  it  sped,  over  the  heads  of  the 
outfielders,  and  fell  on  the  exterior  of  the  high  board  fence 
erected  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  out  dead-heads  and  persons 
who  wished  to  see  ball  games  without  paying  for  the  privilege. 

Such  a  feat  had  never  before  been  accomplished,  and  the 
yells  and  shouts  that  went  up  from  thousands  of  throats  had 
never  been  equalled  on  that  diamond  before,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  it  ever  will  be  again. 

James  was  scudding  around  the  bases  with  the  speed  of  a 
whirlwind,  and  the  long  legs  of  Slim,  who  was  flying  along  in 
front  of  him,  worked  like  piston  rods.  Third  base  was  quickly 
covered  and  passed  by  Slim,  with  James  half  way  to  second. 
As  Slim's  foot  touched  the  home  plate  James  passed  third, 
having  run  three  bases  while  Slim  ran  two.  At  this  instant 
the  ball  was  seen  to  fly  over  the  fence  straight  as  an  arrow 
toward  the  pitcher's  box.  The  throw  was  a  marvel,  as  it  had 
to  be  thrown  by  guess.  It  fell  straight  into  the  hands  of  the 
burly  Ohio  pitcher,  who  threw  it  with  all  the  force  of  his 
mighty  strength  to  the  home  plate. 


COLLEGE   LIFE.  97 

Which  would  win — ball  or  man?  It  looked  like  an  even 
chance,  and  was  nearly  so,  for  the  runner  and  ball  both  arrived 
at  exactly  the  same  time,  but  the  catcher  staggered  for  a 
moment,  and  James  fell  headlong  over  the  plate  just  as  the 
catcher  reached  down  and  touched  him,  but  just  a  second  too 
late. 

The  umpire  called  out,  "  Safe !  "  amidst  the  cheering  of  the 
crowd.  Some  of  the  players,  however,  were  inclined  to  dispute 
the  decision,  but  were  instantly  hushed  by  the  pitcher  of  the 
Ohio  team,  who  said,  "  He  was  safe."  This  manly  declaration 
of  the  Ohio  man  was  wildly  cheered  and  probably  saved  the 
umpire  from  being  mobbed,  for  the  nerves  of  the  vast  throng 
had  been  on  the  extreme  tension  so  long  that  the  least  excuse 
would  have  served  to  create  a  riot. 

The  words  of  the  pitcher  had  a  greater  effect  than  this,  how- 
ever, as  they  served  to  bind  together  two  men  in  a  friendship 
that  lasted  a  lifetime. 

The  game  now  stood  two  scores  to  one  in  favor  of  the  Michi- 
gan team,  with  two  men  out  and  one  more  chance  for  the  Ohio 
team  to  go  to  the  bat  to  win  back  the  other  score.  The  next 
man  was  struck  out,  and  the  Michigan  team  took  the  field  for 
the  last  time. 

One  man  got  to  first  by  being  struck  with  the  ball,  which 
everybody  could  see  was  intentional.  The  second  two  fared  no 
better,  leaving  the  first  batter  to  die  on  first  base,  and  the 
great  game  was  ended,  the  Michigan  team  winning  by  James' 
phenomenal  hit. 

Big  Will  Ellis  was  the  first  to  congratulate  James  upon  his 
great  play. 

"  It  beat  anything  I  ever  saw  on  the  diamond,"  he  declared, 
"  and  while,  of  course,  I  regret  losing  the  game,  I  am  glad 
that  it  was  by  so  gallant  a  foe  I  met  defeat." 

The  ball  game  over,  the  crowd  mingled  together,  the 
Ohioans  and  Wolverines  discussed  the  game  together,  and,  of 
course,  the  great  theme  was  the  play  made  by  James. 

Three  cheers  were  proposed  by  Wilford  Ellis,  and  they  were 


98  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

given  with  a  will  by  both  sides,  the  Ohio  delegation  not  to  be 
outdone  in  chivalry  by  their  pitcher. 

The  vast  throngs  now  vacated  the  ball  grounds  and  went  to 
their  various  destinations. 

Wilford  Ellis  went  with  James  at  the  latter's  request,  and 
was  introduced  to  his  relatives. 

Mr.  Vernon,  in  a  few  well-chosen  words,  congratulated  Mr. 
Ellis  upon  his  excellent  playing,  saying  that  except  for  his 
natural  pride  in  seeing  his  son  victorious,  he  heartily  wished 
that  Mr.  Ellis  had  won,  and  that  his  splendid  work  certainly 
merited  a  victory. 

Grasping  his  son's  hand,  Mr.  Vernon  said  in  deep,  earnest 
tones,  "James,  my  son,  what  a  proud  day  this  is  for  your 
father !  With  what  pride  and  joy  do  I  stand  here  and  see  my 
boy  come  out  victorious  in  this  splendid  game,  to  see  the  favor 
which  he  has  found  with  these  multitudes  of  people  and  to 
hear  them  applaud  him!  I  can  hardly  find  words  sincere 
enough  in  which  to  congratulate  you  and  express  my  pride, 
James,  but  perhaps  the  most  sincere  words  which  I  may 
address  to  you  now,  my  son,  is  the  heart-felt  wish  that  my 
boy  may  come  out  just  as  victorious  in  the  more  serious  games 
of  life  with  his  success  as  well  merited.  Now  I  will  make 
way  for  the  rest  of  the  family  to  tender  their  congratulations," 
and,  with  a  smile,  he  stepped  aside. 

"  Marse  Jimmie !  Marse  Jimmie !  "  exclaimed  a  saucy  little 
voice,  "  A  t'ousand  congratulations.  You  done  the  splendidest 
playing  I  ever  seed,"  said  Elph,  as  he  came  hurrying  up,  his- 
little  black  fingers  clinging  to  the  hand  of  a  large  black-whis- 
kered man.  "I  done  tole  dis  gentleman  dat  youh'd  surely 
win.  And,  Marse  James,  allow  me  to  present  one  ob  de  finest 
gentlemen  on  dese  grounds,  Massa  Milton  Le  Marr,  of  Ann 
Arbor.  Massa  Le  Marr,  Massa  James  Vernon,  son  ob  my  dear 
old  master,  ob  Mt.  Vernon,  Michigan,"  said  Elph,  bowing  low. 

"  Most  delighted  to  meet  you,"  said  Mr.  Le  Marr,  as  the 
two  men  shook  hands.  He  had  admired  James  a  great  deal, 
but  had  never  before  happened  to  have  the  opportunity  to  meet 


COLLEGE   LIFE.  99 

him  personally.  James  then  made  him  acquainted  with  the 
members  of  his  family,  and  with  his  new  friend,  Wilf ord  Ellis. 

After  greetings  and  congratulations  were  exchanged  on  all 
sides,  Mr.  Le  Marr  gave  the  party  a  very  pressing  invitation 
to  partake  of  the  hospitality  of  his  apartments  in  the  Palais 
Belvidere.  After  some  consideration,  they  accepted.  Together 
they  all  quitted  the  grounds  and  made  their  way  uptown  to  a 
handsome  huge  gray-stone  building,  which  was  a  sort  of  a 
hotel  and  club  combined.  They  ascended  to  the  fifth  floor, 
and  Mr.  Le  Marr  led  them  down  a  long  corridor.  Arriving  at 
a  heavy  oaken  door,  he  stopped  and  inserted  his  key.  Flinging 
it  open,  he  said,  with  a  smile,  "  Enter,  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
and,  pray,  try  and  make  yourselves  at  home  in  the  den  of  an 
old  bachelor." 

They  entered  the  richly-furnished  rooms,  and  Mr.  Le  Marr 
touched  a  bell,  whereupon  a  maid  appeared  and  took  charge 
of  their  wraps. 

A  pleasant  hour  was  spent  in  chatting  and  admiring  Milton 
Le  Marr's  choice  collection  of  works  of  art  and  antiquity, 
and  finally  supper  was  announced. 

They  all  did  ample  justice  to  the  delicious  supper,  and  big, 
handsome  Will  Ellis  sat  directly  opposite  Mary,  much  to  his 
delight,  where  he  could  feast  his  eyes  upon  her  pretty  face. 
Mary's  cheeks  grew  crimson  as  she  met  the  admiring  eyes  of 
Wilf  ord  Ellis  bent  upon  her  whenever  she  looked  toward  him. 
But  Mary  seemed  to  enjoy  the  admiration  for  her  expressed 
in  those  deep  gray  eyes,  and  a  mutual  compact  seemed  to 
unconsciously  spring  up  between  them.  They  had  eyes  and 
ears  for  no  one  else  the  rest  of  the  evening. 

Many  topics  were  discussed  during  the  evening,  and  when 
the  gentlemen  joined  the  ladies  in  the  parlor,  after  having 
their  cigars  and  wine,  the  conversation  turned  upon  inci- 
dents and  conditions  of  their  various  lives.  Before  the 
evening  was  over  the  Vernons  learned  more  about  the  lives 
and  pursuits  of  their  two  new  friends. 

Their  host,  Milton  Le  Marr,  seemed  to  be  quite  alone  in 


100  THE   MERCHANT  OP   MT.  VERNON. 

the  world  as  far  as  relatives  were  concerned,  but  being  a 
man  of  attractive  personality,  gracious,  generous-hearted 
and  handsome,  he  never  lacked  friends  nor  admiration,  and 
his  hospitable  doors  were  always  open  to  his  many  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Born  in  France,  of  poor  but  respectable 
parents,  he  was  brought  to  America  when  a  small  child,  and 
his  father  and  mother  labored  together  for  several  years  to 
earn  an  honest  living  and  give  their  son  the  semblance  of 
an  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  lost  his  parents, 
their  deaths  having  occurred  but  a  short  time  apart,  and 
Milton  was  left  upon  his  own  resources.  He  was  never  discour- 
aged, but  persevered,  during  the  years  of  trials  and  hard 
work  that  followed,  and  slowly  but  surely  mounted  the  steps 
of  success  and  fortune  until  now  in  his  forty  odd  years  of  age 
he  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  large  and  well-established 
business,  a  rich  man,  enabled  to  enjoy  the  good  things  of 
this  world. 

One  by  one  his  near  relatives  in  France  and  England  (his 
mother  was  an  Englishwoman)  had  dropped  off  until  only 
a  few  very  distant  remained,  and  of  these  Milton  Le  Marr 
had  lost  all  track. 

Wilford  Ellis  was  left  an  orphan  early  in  life,  and  is  the 
only  grandson  of  Jeremiah  and  Hannah  Ellis,  who  have  idol- 
ized him  from  the  time  they  took  him  to  raise  as  their  own 
son  when  he  was  a  mere  boy  of  five  years  of  age,  and  when 
their  beloved  son  was  laid  at  rest  beside  the  grave  of  his 
young  wife,  who  had  preceded  him  by  two  years. 

The  Ellises  were  old  pioneers  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  several 
branches  of  the  family  were  now  scattered  in  different  parts 
of  the  State.  Some  were  men  and  women  of  mark;  some  rich 
and  some  poor;  but  all  honorable,  upright  and  just.  Wil- 
ford's  grandparents  were  situated  in  fair  circumstances 
financially,  and  able  to  give  their  grandson  an  excellent  edu- 
cation. Old  Mr.  Ellis  had  been  for  many  years  in  the  fur 
business,  besides  having  quite  extensive  real  estate  interests 
in  Toledo.  The  old  gentleman  had,  however,  retired  from 


COLLEGE   L£FS.;  ^  ;  ,  > 

active  business  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  as  Mrs. 
Ellis  was  in  delicate  health  the  old  couple  lived  very  quietly 
in  their  pretty,  rambling  cottage,  surrounded  by  its  neat 
lawns  and  flower  gardens  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  Three 
old  domestics,  who  had  been  in  their  service  for  many  years, 
lived  happily  with  them,  and  tendered  them  their  services, 
for  which  they  were  well  recompensed  by  Mr.  Ellis.  Many 
serene  and  happy  years  had  Wilford  spent  in  his  quiet, 
pretty  home,  with  his  gentle  and  loving  grandparents.  With 
pride  they  have  watched  him  grow  up  to  young  manhood, 
and  they  see  him  now,  a  young  fellow  of  twenty-three,  just 
in  the  flush  of  his  splendid  young  manhood  and  strength, 
genial,  handsome,  kind-hearted  and  generous,  a  great  favor- 
ite with  his  friends  and  well  liked  and  admired  by  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact. 

The  evening  passed  away  rapidly,  and  our  friends  realized 
they  must  be  moving  toward  the  depot  if  they  wished  to 
board  the  11.15  train,  and  so  Mr.  Le  Marr  ordered  carriages 
for  the  whole  party  and  they  drove  rapidly  to  the  depot 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Le  Marr,  Wilford  and  James,  to  see 
them  off. 

At  the  depot  both  Milton  Le  Marr  and  Wilford  Ellis 
received  cordial  invitations  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vernon  to 
come  and  make  them  a  long  visit  at  Greenwold  whenever 
they  might  find  it  convenient. 

As  Wilford  Ellis  helped  Mary  on  the  train  he  could  not 
refrain  from  requesting  her  to  give  him  the  white  rose 
pinned  on  her  corsage,  "in  commemoration  of  the  happy 
meeting  with  her  and  his  new  friends,"  as  he  laughingly 
explained.  The  request  was  accompanied  by  a  look  amount- 
ing almost  to  adoration,  and  she  blushingly  handed  it  to 
him.  There  was  a  merry  twinkle  in  Milton  Le  Marr's  black 
eyes  as  he  watched  them,  and  he  said  audibly,  in  Mr.  Ver- 
non's  ear,  "Have  a  care,  Mr.  Vernon.  Put  up  strong  bar- 
ricades. I  foresee  that  you  may  be  in  danger  of  losing  your 
lovely  daughter."  Mary  gave  him  a  saucy  look,  which  seemed 


102  THE   MERCHANT  OF   MT.   VERNON. 

to  say,  "Father,  pay  no  attention  to  his  babbling,"  and 
regretfully  bade  him  good-bye,  telling  him  what  an  enter- 
taining host  he  had  been,  and  how  much  she  had  enjoyed 
the  evening. 

At  last  the  good-byes  were  said.  Mrs.  Vernon  was  the  last 
to  take  leave  of  her  son  and  kiss  him  good-bye,  but  Violet's 
face  was  the  last  one  he  saw  as  he  turned  toward  the  city 
with  the  other  two,  and  when  at  length  the  three  men 
parted  for  the  night  each  mind  was  occupied  by  its  own 
visions,  and  each  heart  was  saddened  or  brightened  by  its 
individual  longings. 

Wilf  ord  Ellis'  slumbers  were  disturbed  by  visions  of  Mary 
Vernon's  sweet  face,  lighted  up  by  its  soulful  dark  eyes  and 
framed  by  its  wealth  of  glossy  dark  hair. 

Violet's  radiant  yet  sorrowful  face,  with  a  wistful,  long- 
ing look  in  her  dark  blue  eyes,  her  golden  curls  forming  a 
halo  around  her  white  brow,  haunted  James'  dreams. 

Milton  Le  Marr  slept  on  in  his  deep,  dreamless,  unbroken 
rest. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Slip  Hamas*  uf  Wttfiurfc  att& 

Three  months  passed  away  and  July  is  here  with  its  light 
breezes  and  drowsy  summer  days. 

Greenwold  was  looking  its  best,  the  lawns  green  and  beau- 
tiful, the  gardens  gorgeous  with  bright-hued  flowers,  and 
the  giant  oaks  and  elms  waving  their  branches  as  if  inviting 
one  to  come  and  rest  in  the  hammocks  under  their  rustling 
green  leaves  and  enjoy  their  beautiful  shade. 

It  was  early  on  this  particular  morning,  and  Mary  was 
moving  about  the  house  light-hearted  and  gay,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Vernon  were  joyous  and  expectant,  for  James  and  Wil- 
ford  Ellis  were  expected  to  arrive  this  morning. 

The  two  young  men  had  become  fast  friends  and  planned 
to  spend  the  summer  holidays  together.  They  spent  the 
month  of  June  at  Wilford's  home,  in  Toledo,  and  now 
intended  to  while  away  the  rest  of  the  beautiful  summer  at 
James5  picturesque  home. 

They  arrived  in  due  time,  and  Wilford  was  not  a  little 
joyous  and  elated  as  the  lovely  summer  days  went  by,  spent 
in  the  company  of  Mary  Vernon.  It  was  not  long  before  he 
asked  Mr.  Vernon's  permission  to  pay  addresses  to  his 
daughter,  receiving  Mr.  Vernon's  hearty  wishes  for  his 
success. 

Wilford  lost  no  time  in  his  wooing,  and  the  pleasant  little 
picnics  and  country  excursions  arranged  for  their  entertain- 
ment gave  him  plenty  of  opportunity  to  ardently  press  his 
suit,  and  before  school  opened  that  fall  handsome  Wilford 
Ellis,  the  envy  of  his  college  chums,  and  the  admiration  of 
the  girls,  had  secured  Mary  Vernon's  promise  to  become  his 
wife  during  the  Christmas  holidays. 

September  came  at  last,  and  with  it  the  boys'  return  to 
their  classes.  The  commencement  of  school  was  a  great 

103 


104  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

relief  to  James,  who  wanted  to  be  far  away  from  the  object 
which  he  still  loved  far  better  than  his  own  life. 

It  may  have  been  disloyal,  but  he  was  only  human  after 
all,  and  who  shall  censure  him  for  failing  to  conquer  a  pas- 
sion stronger  than  his  own  nature. 

Whatever  his  mad  longings  were,  he  was  at  least  loyal  to 
his  brother  in  every  action,  for  he  avoided  her  whenever 
it  was  possible;  but  the  sad,  reproachful  look  in  her  eyes 
haunted  him  for  months  after,  his  departure  for  college. 

The  Christmas  holidays  came  around,  and  we  find  the 
three  friends — James,  Wilford  and  Milton  Le  Marr — on  the 
eve  of  their  departure  for  Mt.  Yernon. 

On  the  train  Wilford  was  full  of  enthusiasm  over  his 
approaching  marriage,  and  drew  such  rosy  pictures  of  the 
future  that  it  caused  poor  James'  heart  to  swell  to  almost 
the  bursting  point.  Had  he  not  drawn  those  same  pictures 
with  Violet  as  his  wife,  and  rosy-cheeked  children  romping 
over  the  floor? 

Wilford  saw  the  look  of  pain  in  James'  eyes,  and  silently 
grasped  his  hand.  There  are  times  when  words  are  not  half 
as  valuable  as  silence.  James  returned  the  pressure,  and 
they  rode  .the  rest  of  the  way  in  silence. 

As  they  approached  the  depot  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Wilford  said, 
kindly,  "  Come,  old  fellow,  you  must  not  look  as  if  you  were 
going  to  a  funeral  instead  of  a  wedding.  What  will  the 
folks  say?"  The  kindly  look  from  Milton  Le  Marr's  deep 
black  eyes  fastened  upon  James'  blue  orbs  seemed  to  cheer 
and  sustain  him. 

"  I  can  see  them  now  at  the  station — your  father,  mother, 
sister,  the  imp,  and,  by  Jove!  there  is  Frank  also,"  and  under 
his  breath  he  muttered,  "the  infernal  scoundrel!  I'll  wager 
he  has  come  here  to  gloat  over  his  brother  by  giving  him  an 
invitation  to  remain  with  him  during  the  Christmas 
holidays." 

Wilford  was  right.    Frank  grasped  them  both  by  the  hand, 


THE   MARRIAGE   OF   WILFORD   AND   MARY.  105 

pressing  them,  together  with  Mr.  Le  Marr,  with  invitations 
to  share  his  hospitality. 

James  thanked  him  coldly,  and  in  an  easy  manner  he 
genially  inquired  after  the  health  of  all. 

"By  Jove!  he'll  do  all  right,"  muttered  Will  to  himself; 
"  no  fear  of  him  making  a  scene.  He  is  true  grit." 

The  keen  eyes  of  Wilford  Ellis  long  ago  detected  the  love 
that  James  still  bore  for  Violet,  and  the  look  in  her  eyes  on 
the  day  of  the  great  ball  game,  when  she  threw  prudence  to 
the  winds,  had  also  revealed  her  feelings  toward  James. 

Why  she  had  married  Frank  was  a  mystery  which  he  some 
day  meant  to  solve.  He  felt  an  unaccountable  aversion  to 
Frank,  and  in  his  mind  he  mentally  compared  him  to  some 
great  snake,  ready  at  any  moment  to  fold  his  deadly  coils 
about  some  helpless  victim.  Not  that  Frank  had  ever  been 
aught  but  polite  and  friendly  toward  him,  but  the  feeling 
would  somehow  remain  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  shake 
it  off. 

The  wedding  was  the  great  social  event  of  the  season. 
All  the  friends  of  Mary  in  Mt.  Vernon  were  invited,  as  well 
as  Wilford's  grandparents  and  friends  from  Ohio. 

The  old  mansion  was  beautifully  decorated  with  a  profu- 
sion of  cut  flowers  and  with  wreaths  of  holly.  Branches  of 
evergreen  and  mistletoe  were  intermingled  with  the  greenery 
of  the  decorative  scheme. 

The  spacious  drawing  room,  converted  into  a  veritable 
floral  bower,  was  a  fair  setting  for  the  daughter  of  the 
house,  radiant  and  beautiful  in  her  robes  of  white  satin  and 
lace,  blushing  shyly  beneath  her  transparent  veil  as  she 
entered  upon  the  arm  of  her  father  and  took  her  place  beside 
the  bridegroom  under  the  floral  bell  beneath  which  the  cere- 
mony was  performed. 

Mr.  Vernon  gave  the  bride  away.  James  acted  as  best 
man.  Susanne  attended  the  bride  as  maid  of  honor  (muck 
to  the  secret  disgust  of  James). 


106  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.  VERNON. 

After  the  nuptial  knot  was  tied  the  company  repaired  to 
the  handsomely-decorated  dining  room,  and  were  seated  at 
tables  glittering  with  silver  and  cut  glass,  and  the  daintiest 
of  wedding  breakfasts  was  served. 

One  of  the  guests  proposed  a  toast,  wishing  the  health  of 
the  bride.  Ex-Senator  Thurman,  of  Michigan,  a  great  wit 
and  after-dinner  speaker,  was  called  upon  to  act  as  toast- 
master,  and  made  the  following  somewhat  lengthy,  but  pleas- 
ant toast.  Rising  and  clearing  his  throat,  he  began: 

"The  pleasant  and  somewhat  difficult  task  of  proposing 
what  we  shall  all  agree  is  the  toast  of  the  present  happy 
occasion  has  been  entrusted  to  my  care.  I  have  been  asked 
to  propose  long  life  and  health  and  happiness  to  the  bride. 
The  task  is  exceedingly  pleasant,  but  somewhat  difficult,  the 
point  of  the  difficulty  being  this:  that  I  scarcely  know  how 
to  find  words  that  will  fitly  and  fully  express  the  warm  and 
enthusiastic  desires  we  all  cherish  for  the  future  happiness 
of  our  dear  friend,  the  bride.  There  was  a  very  learned  man 
named  Chrysostom,  who  died  many  centuries  ago,  who  was 
so  eloquent  that  men  gave  him  the  name  of  the  golden- 
mouth. 

"Now  I  feel  that  a  man  need  have  a  golden  mouth,  and 
that  mouth  full  to  the  lips  with  most  eloquent  phrases,  to 
be  equal  to  the  present  occasion.  No  words  can  give  com- 
plete utterance  to  what  we  all  feel  in  this  joyful  hour.  We 
sometimes  ask  our  friends  to  read  between  the  lines.  I  must 
trust  to  the  kindness  of  the  bride  to  endeavor  to  hear 
between  the  sentences,  for  I  assure  her  there  are  undertones 
of  deep  affection  for  her  that  no  common  words  can  express. 

"The  present  occasion  is  very  joyous,  partly  because  of 
the  sacredness  of  the  relations  into  which  our  friends  have 
entered.  The  marriage  festival  is  somewhat  more  than  a 
record  of  the  triumphs  of  love.  Our  gentle  friend  has  been 
wooed  and  won,  and  love  was  crowned  as  she  plighted  her 
troth  to-day  before  God  and  her  friends.  But  to-day  she 
steps  forth  from  the  maiden  beauties  of  life's  morning  to  a 


THE   MAEKIAGE   OF   WILFOKD  AND  MAEY.  107 

larger  and  nobler  career.  And  as  she  enters  that  untrodden 
path  we  gather  round  and  with  one  heart  and  thought  wish 
for  her  and  for  him  whom  she  calls  husband  for  the  first 
time  to-day,  long  life,  and  joy  and  peace. 

"  Leaving  to-day  the  peace  and  gladness  of  her  early 
home,  leaving  behind  her  the  sweet  associations  of  her  glad 
young  days,  she  takes  with  her  larger  life  of  wedded  woman- 
hood the  best  wishes  of  us  all.  From  this  happy  day  we 
look  out  to  her  future  and  pray  heaven  to  make  it  radiant 
and  serene. 

"  I  will  not  trespass  further  on  your  patience.  I  ask  you 
all  with  all  our  hearts  to  join  with  me:  The  bride:  long  life 
and  happiness  and  peace." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  toast  the  Senator  drained  his 
.glass,  and  amid  much  applause  resumed  his  seat. 

Wilford  now  arose  and  began  in  a  somewhat  shaky  voice: 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  friends,  when  I  say  that  I  appre- 
ciate with  all  my  heart  the  kind  and  enthusiastic  manner  in 
which  you  have  expressed  your  love  and  good  wishes  for  the 
lady  whom  I  am  proud  and  happy — as  proud  as  happy  and  as 
happy  as  proud — this  day  to  call  by  the  endearing  name  of 
''wife/ 

"  The  tenderness  and  affection  you  have  manifested  for  her 
only  serves  to  deepen  the  assurance  that  in  life's  great  lot- 
tery I  have  indeed  won  a  prize.  To  be  worthy  of  a  lady  so 
much  beloved  will  henceforth  be  the  one  ambition  of  my 
life.  And  if  I  may  so  soon  begin  to  represent  my  dearer  and 
better  half,  I  feel  I  ought  to  say  on  her  behalf  that  she  will 
treasure  in  her  heart  of  hearts  and  among  her  most  sacred 
memories  all  the  kindness  of  to-day,  and  as  years  come  and 
go,  I  trust  that  I  also  may  have  a  place  in  your  good  favor. 

"But  as  I  look  around  this  festive  scene  I  cannot  but 
express  my  gratitude  to  the  fair  bridesmaids  who  have  made 
this  occasion  so  joyful.  I  beg  on  behalf  of  Mrs.  Ellis  and 
myself  that  they  will  accept  our  loving  gratitude. 

"  Their  grace  and  beauty  have  indeed  enriched  our  mar- 


108  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

riage  festival,  and  if  they  would  receive  one  kindly  word  of 
advice  from  the  bride  of  to-day  it  would  be  couched  in 
scriptural  language — '  Go  thou  and  do  likewise/  I  trust  the 
bachelors  present  will  take  the  hint  and  render  the  brides- 
maids all  the  assistance  that  lies  in  their  power.  (Much 
laughter.)  They  have  spoken  many  nattering  words  to-day 
out  of  their  kind,  warm  hearts.  I  beg  to  remind  them  of 
that  old  trite  proverb, '  Imitation  is  the  highest  kind  of  flat- 
tery/ (More  laughter.)  And  I  trust  before  many  moons 
are  passed  some,  at  least,  of  these  young  ladies  who  have 
graduated  as  bridesmaids  to-day  will  themselves  be  decked 
with  orange  blossoms.  I  beg  you  will  join  me  in  drinking 
to  the  bridesmaids." 

James  now  responded  on  behalf  of  the  bridesmaids.  He 
was  a  noted  speaker  in  college  circles.  He  always  repre- 
sented his  fellow  collegians  at  public  functions  and  had  a 
great  flow  of  wit  and  humor,  and  I  fear  but  small  regard  for 
the  truth  on  an  occasion  like  this. 

Rising  to  his  feet,  he  looked  about  the  room  with  an 
assumed  timid  air  and  then  began: 

"I  beg  to  assure  this  audience  that  I  have  occasionally 
been  in  what  is  called  '  a  tight  place/  in  my  somewhat  short 
experience,  but  never  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life  have 
I  been  in  as  ( tight  a  place '  as  I  find  myself  at  this  moment. 
(Smiles.)  I  am  asked  to  represent  the  bridesmaids!  I  never 
represented  anybody  in  my  life.  Indeed,  I  have  hardly  had 
the  courage  to  represent  myself.  (Laughter.)  And  when 
I  look  around  on  the  grace,  the  beauty  and  the  winsome 
loveliness  of  these  charming  bridesmaids,  and  think  I  have 
to  represent  all  that,  I  am  appalled.  My  heart  sinks  within 
me. 

"  Speaking  on  behalf  of  these  fair  ladies,  I  can  only  say 
that  I,  that  is  to  say  we,  are  profoundly  happy  if  we  have 
been  able  to  conduce  in  the  least  to  the  brightness  and  joy 
of  this  memorable  occasion.  I,  that  is  to  say  we,  have  known 
our  dear  friend,  the  bride,  a  long  time,  and  we  have  known 


THE   MARRIAGE    OF   WILFORD   AND   MARY.  109 

her  only  to  love  her  very  dearly.  I  trjist  the  bridegroom 
will  understand  that  I  am  speaking  in  my  representative 
capacity. 

"  I,  that  is  to  say,  we,  congratulate  the  bride  on  this  auspi- 
cious day,  and  if  we  do  not  exactly  envy  her,  we  assure  her 
that  at  the  very  earliest  possible  date,  we  will  all  follow  her 
example;  for,  to  tell  the  truth,  we're  tired  of  waiting,  and 
some  of  us  are  growing  a  little  anxious.  (Laughter.)  I  don't 
know  whether  this  is  exactly  what  the  bridesmaids  would  say 
themselves,  but,  as  their  representative,  I  am  trying  to  keep 
as  near  the  truth  as  possible.  I,  that  is  to  say,  we,  have  been 
to-day  glad  spectators  in  a  memorable  scene.  We  confess  to 
having  felt  more  than  a  little  nervous;  but  what  must  it  be 
to  be  the  chief  actress  on  such  an  occasion?  (Mary's  blushes 
chase  each  other  in  charming  confusion  over  her  beautiful  face 
at  this  last  remark.)  To  solve  this  problem  will  be  henceforth 
the  ardent  ambition  of  every  one  of  us. 

"  In  conclusion,  and  to  be  serious  for  a  moment,  I  am  sure 
that  the  ladies  who  have  fulfilled  the  office  of  bridesmaids 
to-day  desire  with  all  their  hearts  to  congratulate  their  friends, 
the  bride  and  bridegroom,  and  wish  them  all  possible  happi- 
ness through  many  long  years." 

James  then  kissed  his  sister  and  congratulated  Wilford, 
which  was  a  signal  for  a  general  ovation,  and  the  merry  crowd 
surrounded  the  happy  pair,  wishing  them  joy  and  happiness 
through  their  wedded  life. 

After  a  few  moments,  Mary  left  her  guests,  but  soon  reap- 
peared, clad  in  her  velvet  traveling  attire  and  rich  furs. 

In  the  meantime,  Elph  had  driven  the  family  carriage  up 
to  the  entrance,  and  it  stood  in  readiness.  It  was  now  train 
time,  and  Wilford  and  Mary  mounted  the  carriage  amid  a 
shower  of  rice,  old  shoes  and  the  good  wishes  of  their  friends. 

They  barely  reached  the  station  in  time,  and  it  was  a  good 
thing  for  them  that  they  did  not  have  long  to  wait,  for  a 
large  crowd  of  the  burly  Ohio  athlete's  admirers  were  at  the 
train  to  see  him  and  his  beautiful  bride  off.  On  their  trunks, 


110  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

painted  in  large  white  letters,  were  the  words,  "  Just  Mar- 
ried." The  carriage  and  horses  bore  the  same  conspicuous 
words,  and  some  of  the  most  enterprising  tacked  some  large 
white  banners  on  the  coach  bearing  the  same  words. 

Big,  good-natured  Will  took  it  all  in  good  part,  remarking, 
"  Well,  they  don't  intend  to  let  us  forget  the  fact  that  we're 
married." 

The  same  friends  who  had  so  kindly  labeled  all  their  lug- 
gage had  been  thoughtful  enough  to  telegraph  ahead  to  all 
the  stations  along  the  route,  and  they  received  an  enthusiastic 
reception  at  each  place. 

It  was  getting  somewhat  embarrassing  for  Mary,  and  he 
resolved  to  spoil  their  little  game.  Accordingly,  when  they 
reached  Owosso,  a  junction  for  a  large  number  of  railroads, 
they  quitted  their  train  and  stopped  in  the  town  for  a  day. 
Wilford  bought  new  trunks  and  grips,  and  they  repacked  their 
effects  in  the  new  receptacles.  When  leaving  Owosso  they 
continued  their  journey  over  a  different  road,  and  the  rest  of 
the  way  was  traveled  in  peace. 

They  spent  several  weeks  in  Ohio  and  the  South,  and  then 
returned  to  Mt.  Vernon.  Wilford  had  graduated  in  a  medical 
course,  and  it  was  decided  that  he  would  hang  up  his  shingle 
of  M.D.  in  Mt.  Vernon. 

Old  Dr.  Wright  had  been  the  leading  physician  ever  since 
the  place  was  big  enough  to  support  a  man  of  his  profession. 
He  was  growing  too  old  and  feeble  now  to  properly  attend  to 
the  arduous  duties  of  a  physician,  and  announced  his  intention 
of  retiring  and  taking  life  easy.  He  had  saved  up  a  snug 
little  sum,  and  could  well  afford  to  do  so. 

Wilford  purchased  his  office,  and  Dr.  Wright  used  his  influ- 
ence to  help  him  along,  with  the  result  that  he  got  nearly  all 
of  the  retired  physician's  practice. 

Mr.  Vernon  gave  them  a  beautiful  cottage  as  a  present.  It 
is  situated  near  the  business  section  of  the  city,  and  is  the 
most  convenient  place  for  his  profession. 

The  black  diphtheria  broke  out  the  winter  following  Wil- 


THE   MARRIAGE    OF   WILFORD   AND   MARY.  Ill 

ford's  marriage,  and  he  labored  night  and  day,  and  it  was 
mainly  through  his  efforts  that  the  disease  was  finally  stamped 
out.  He  won  the  heartfelt  thanks  of  nearly  half  of  the 
mothers  in  the  city  and  the  deep,  but  silent,  curses  of  the  rival 
physicians. 

Dr.  Jackson,  the  county  physician,  was  openly  accused  of 
gross  negligence  by  the  city  editor. 

The  editor  insisted  that  the  schools  must  close,  and  the 
doctor,  more  to  be  stubborn  than  anything  else,  refused  to 
order  them  closed.  As  a  result,  they  both  called  each  other 
hard  names.  The  doctor  threatened  to  sue  the  editor  for  dam- 
ages on  account  of  the  offensive  sheet,  and  the  editor,  in  turn, 
threatened  to  order  an  investigation  regarding  his  conduct  in 
refusing  to  close  the  schools. 

The  affair  promised  some  pretty  lively  developments,  but 
finally  died  away  like  a  summer  thunder-storm,  the  rumbling 
growing  fainter  and  fainter  each  day,  until  it  was  finally  for- 
gotten altogether. 

Leaving  Wilford  and  Mary  happy  and  prosperous  in  their 
wedded  life,  we  will  once  more  take  up  the  narratire  of 
James'  life. 


CHAPTBK  XV. 

fffiml|attt  nf  UBt  Hmuw 

Three  years  have  now  passed  away.  Ann  Arbor's  most  fam- 
ous athlete  is  on  the  eve  of  closing  his  college  career. 

It  is  afternoon,  and  he  is  at  the  depot  to  meet  his  relatives 
and  intimate  friends,  who  have  all  come  to  witness  the  gradu- 
ating exercises,  to  be  held  in  the  evening. 

Let  us  take  a  look  at  our  old  friends  and  see  if  three  years 
have  wrought  much  change  in  them. 

We  will  begin  with  James  as  he  stands  shaking  hands  with 
the  new  arrivals  as  they  alight  from  the  train.  He  has  grown 
taller,  stouter  and  more  broad-shouldered.  He  is  fully  six  feet 
four,  and  a  finer  specimen  of  young  manhood  could  not 
be  found.  The  easy  grace  with  which  he  moves  about,  greeting 
his  friends,  speaks  of  a  Herculean  strength,  and  as  he  greets 
his  brother  he  towers  head  and  shoulders  above  him.  His 
face  is  covered  with  a  golden  beard  that  makes  him  look  like 
an  Apollo.  His  former  look  of  careless  ease  has  changed 
to  one  of  quiet  thoughtfulness  and  calm.  No  one  observing 
him  would  guess  there  had  been  a  disappointment  in  his  past 
life.  Time,  the  great  healer  and  moulder  of  all  things,  had 
lain  a  kindly  hand  on  him  and  the  old  pain  had  partly  sub- 
sided and  the  keenest  smarts  of  disappointment  were  merci- 
fully blotted  out,  but  there  was  a  void  in  his  life  which  would 
never  be  quite  filled. 

But  let  us  look  at  Frank.  He  has  changed  from  a  quick- 
tempered, passionate  man  to  a  timid,  frightened  being,  who 
starts  at  his  own  shadow.  His  former  black  hair  has  changed 
to  iron  gray  and  he  looks  to  be  fully  twenty  years  older  than  he 
really  is. 

His  mother  is  the  next  whom  James  meets,  and  she  does 
not  look  a  day  older  than  she  did  three  years  ago. 

His  father  is  changed  somewhat,  his  hair  is  slightly  gray 

112 


DEATH  OF  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON.     113 

•and  business  cares  are  telling  on  him.  The  likeness  between 
father  and  son  is  striking,  both  have  the  same  golden  beard 
and  upright  carriage,  but  it  is  easily  seen  that  the  father  was 
never  as  perfect  a  being  as  the  son  is  now. 

Mary  and  Wilford  are  still  lovers.  They  both  grasp  his 
hands  at  once.  Will,  big,  good-natured  and  smiling,  warns 
him  not  to  get  stage-fright  that  evening.  It  would  be  hard 
to  find  two  men  more  perfect  in  form  and  face  than  these 
two  as  they  stand  facing  each  other.  Both  are  giants  in  stat- 
ure, although  James  has  the  advantage  of  a  half  inch  in 
height.  As  they  stand  side  by  side  they  tower  head  and  shoul- 
ders above  the  rest,  and  are  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes.  But 
both  are  accustomed  to  be  gazed  at,  and  pay  no  attention  to 
the  curious  eyes  focused  upon  them. 

Mary  has  grown  handsomer  and  more  matronly  since  we 
last  met  her.  She  is  the  mother  of  two  bouncing  boys,  who, 
she  laughingly  says,  she  left  behind,  as  they  will  probably  have 
^entertainment  enough  without  their  strong  young  voices. 

Violet  is  the  last  one  he  greets,  and,  as  their  hands  touch 
•and  eyes  meet,  the  same  old  magnetic  current  passes  through 
them  both,  and  he  murmurs  something  unintelligible  and 
turns  to  the  faithful  colored  servants,  who  are  all  there  to 
see  the  young  marse  made  a  doctor. 

With  a  groan,  she  inwardly  says,  "  How  can  a  just  God 
put  such  a  devil  and  deceiver  in  so  perfect  a  god-like  figure 
and  face !  "  Her  thoughts  fly  back  to  Susanne,  who  was  fast 
becoming  a  sour  old  maid.  "  The  villain/'  she  muttered.  "  I 
don't  believe  his  conscience  troubles  him  a  mite."  But  in  her 
own  heart  she  knew  she  loved  him  and  him  only. 

He  graduated  with  highest  honors,  and,  after  receiving  his 
diploma,  he  accompanied  the  family  back  to  Mt.  Vernon. 
Yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  his  parents  and  Will  and  Mary, 
he  decided  to  begin  his  career  as  a  doctor  in  his  old  home. 

Wilford  declared  he  had  more  practice  than  he  could  handle 
properly,  and  needed  a  good,  trusty  partner.  The  result  was 
that  Will  and  James  occupied  the  same  office,  Will  looking 


114  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

after  the  majority  of  the  contagious  diseases,  and  James 
attending  to  the  surgical  cases.  It  had  been  a  bitter  blow  to 
Mr.  Vernon  when  James  suddenly  announced  his  intention  of 
giving  up  his  career  as  a  business  man  and  devoting  his  time 
to  learn  a  profession,  but  the  two  young  physicians  were  doing 
so  well  now  that  he  rejoiced  that  James  had  made  his  decision 
to  become  a  doctor. 

James  seldom  visited  his  brother's  home,  and  when  he  did 
he  never  remained  long.  The  air  always  seemed  stifling,  and 
he  was  always  glad  when  it  came  time  to  take  his  departure. 
He  could  not  endure  the  agony  of  seeing  the  beautiful  woman, 
whom  once  he  fondly  hoped  to  call  by  the  sacred  name  of  wife 
in  the  home  of  another  and  that  man's  wife,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  Violet  could  have  retained  her  composure. 

The  relationship  between  Violet  and  her  husband  had 
improved  after  the  birth  of  their  little  daughter,  Grace,  who 
was  now  nearly  three  years  old. 

Violet  tried  to  be  a  good  wife  for  the  child's  sake.  A  loving 
one  she  knew  she  could  never  be,  and  Frank  tried  to  outlive 
the  memory  of  that  scene  at  the  old  mill  dam  in  the  light  of 
his  wife's  and  child's  affection.  He  had  partly  broken  the 
habit  of  drinking  since  his  marriage,  but  he  was  fast  growing 
into  a  morose,  crabbed  old  man. 

Soon  after  James'  return  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Frank  fell  ill,  and 
for  many  weeks  his  life  was  despaired  of,  but,  thanks  to  the 
untiring  efforts  of  James  and  Wilford,  as  well  as  Violet,  they 
finally  managed  to  pull  him  through ;  but  he  was  never  him- 
self again.  In  his  delirium  he  constantly  raved  about  the  dam 
and  Marguerite.  The  two  doctors  paid  no  attention,  believ- 
ing it  to  be  simply  the  wild  fancy  of  a  sick  man.  But  Violet 
believed  and  feared  otherwise.  The  scales  had  been  gradually 
dropping  from  her  eyes,  and  numerous  sentences  he  had  mut- 
tered in  his  sleep  concerning  the  old  mill  dam  and  Marguerite 
had  caused  a  horrible  suspicion  to  enter  her  mind.  What  if 
he  were  the  murderer  of  that  poor  girl  whom  every  one  be- 
lieved to  have  fallen  accidentally  into  the  water!  She  drew* 


DEATH  OF  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON.     115 

many  pictures  in  her  mind  of  that  meeting  down  by  the  dam, 
and  some  were  horribly  near  the  truth.  What  if  the  father  of 
her  child  is  a  murderer !  She  felt  that  she  had  indeed  been 
punished  for  her  reckless  decision  in  marrying  Frank.  She 
would  sink  upon  her  knees  when  alone  and  cry,  "  Not  that,  my 
God,  not  that !  Grade's  father  must  not  be  a  murderer !  " 

When  he  arose  from  his  sick-bed  he  closely  questioned 
Violet  about  his  ravings,  but  she  skillfully  parried  his  ques- 
tions, saying  that  he  had  said  many  things  while  sick,  none  of 
which  she  could  distinctly  remember.  He  eyed  her  closely, 
but  could  see  nothing  to  excite  suspicion,  and  finally  con- 
cluded that  he  had  said  nothing  damaging  to  himself. 

His  thirst  for  liquor  grew  very  strong  again,  and  he  drank 
heavily  shortly  after  he  was  able  to  resume  his  duties  at  the 
bank.  He  often  came  home  in  a  beastly  state  of  intoxication. 
Violet  begged,  pleaded  and  threatened  in  turn,  but  she  was 
powerless  to  stop  his  appetite  for  rum. 

Inside  of  a  year  he  was  unable  to  attend  to  any  business 
whatever,  and  the  bank  officials,  in  disgust,  finally  asked  him 
to  resign. 

After  this  he  sank  rapidly,  at  last  becoming  a  mere  whin- 
ing wretch,  who  would  stop  any  one  on  the  street  and  beg 
money  for  the  price  of  a  drink.  He  squandered  the  whole 
of  his  private  fortune  and  even  sold  the  largest  part  of  his 
household  furniture  and  all  personal  valuables  to  satisfy  the 
ever  increasing  craving  for  drink. 

Poor  Violet  bore  up  patiently  for  the  child's  sake  and  com- 
plained to  no  one.  James'  heart  ached  for  the  poor  woman, 
but  he  was  helpless. 

The  conduct  of  Frank  broke  his  father's  heart.  He  had 
been  failing  rapidly  of  late,  and  one  evening,  as  he  came 
from  his  place  of  business,  he  witnessed  the  sad  and  humili- 
ating spectacle  of  seeing  his  son  (once  the  most  promising 
young  business  man  of  the  city — now  the  city  drunkard) 
thrown  out  of  a  saloon  door,  his  face  cut  and  bleeding,  his 
clothes  torn  and  dirty,  and  his  hair  rumpled  up  in  a  tangled, 
bloody  mass. 


116  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

"  My  son!  my  son!  "  cried  the  old  man,  kneeling  down  and 
taking  the  wobbling  head  of  his  wayward  boy  in  his  lap. 
"  To  think  that  you  should  come  to  this! " 

"Hello,  father.  That  you?"  he  muttered,  thickly. 
"  Give  us  the  price  of  a  drink." 

"  Come  home  with  me,  my  boy/'  he  said;  "  you  are  in  no 
fit  state  to  take  a  drink.  What  you  want  is  rest  and  quiet." 

"Give  me  a  drink,  do  you  hear?"  he  cried,  savagely; 
"  give  me  a  drink,  I  say!  "  The  fumes  of  the  liquor  had  got 
the  best  of  him  now,  and  he  recognized  nobody. 

At  this  moment  the  city  marshal  came  out  of  the  saloon, 
saying  that  he  thought  Frank  had  killed  a  lumberman. 
They  were  both  drunk,  and  Frank  hit  the  fellow  over  the 
head  with  a  beer  bottle.  James  approached  at  the  same 
instant,  and,  taking  in  the  scene  quickly  asked  what  the 
trouble  was. 

Touching  his  cap,  the  officer  related  how  he  had  witnessed 
the  fight,  but  was  not  quick  enough  to  prevent  Frank  from 
striking  his  quarrelsome  partner,  and  concluded  by  saying 
that  he  would  be  obliged  to  lock  Frank  up  until  it  was  ascer- 
tained whether  or  not  he  had  killed  the  man.  Frank  had 
been  in  the  lockup  dozens  of  times  before,  and  he  felt  that  it 
would  be  best  to  have  him  put  where  no  more  liquor  could 
reach  him  for  a  time  at  least. 

As  the  wretched  man  was  led  away  the  father  rose  from 
the  position  he  had  taken  while  holding  his  son's  head,  gave 
one  look  after  the  officer  and  prisoner,  and  without  a  word 
fell  backward  into  James'  arms — dead! 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


After  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Vernon  was  over  the  will  was 
read,  which  left  his  property  equally  divided  between  his 
three  children  and  wife. 

The  negroes  were  well  remembered,  also,  but  alas!  so 
uncertain  are  the  affairs  of  this  life!  Unfortunate  specula- 
tions and  heavy  drafts  made  by  Frank,  who  had  gambled  the 
money  away,  left  his  once  vast  fortune  a  total  wreck.  His 
father  had  spent  vast  sums  to  cover  up  the  defalcations  of 
his  son,  and  in  a  frantic  endeavor  to  regain  the  money  that 
he  might  carry  on  his  business  safely  he  plunged  in  Wall 
Street  stocks,  and  they  went  down,  sweeping  away  the  bulk 
of  the  fortune.  The  trouble  had  been  gradually  sapping  his 
strength,  and  when  he  witnessed  the  disgraceful  scene  in 
front  of  the  saloon,  it  was  the  last  straw,  and  the  poor  old 
man  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

The  man  who  was  struck  by  Frank  in  the  saloon  was  able 
to  be  up  and  about  in  a  few  days,  consequently  Frank  was 
released  after  receiving  the  usual  lecture  from  the  judge. 
He  was  in  the  grip  of  the  delirium  tremens  when  his  father's 
funeral  took  place,  and  knew  nothing  about  it  until  he  was 
released.  It  had  no  effect  upon  him  whatever.  The  demon 
of  thirst  had  him  too  completely  in  its  power. 

James  was  obliged  to  move  out  of  the  palatial  residence 
that  had  been  the  Vernon  home  for  so  many  years,  and  it, 
too,  was  sold  to  satisfy  the  claims  against  the  estate. 

He  and  his  mother  took  a  little  cottage  close  to  where 
Frank  lived,  and  many  a  night  Violet  and  her  little  daugh- 
ter would  have  gone  to  bed  hungry  had  it  not  been  for  Mrs. 
Vernon  and  James. 

There  was  one  being  whom  James  absolutely  worshiped. 
It  was  little  Gracie,  and  she  returned  his  affection.  The  lit- 

117 


118  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

tie  miss  passed  nearly  half  her  time  in  her  big  "  Uncle 
Dim's  "  office,  and  when  out  on  a  call  he  would  always  take 
her  with  him.  The  little  girl  and  the  imp,  who  was  James' 
driver,  would  sit  in  the  carriage  and  build  air  castles.  The 
child  was  a  sweet,  lovable,  blue-eyed,  golden-haired  little 
one,  and  everybody  loved  her. 

One  rainy  night  Frank  came  home  in  an  uglier  mood  than 
usual,  and  put  both  Violet  and  her  little  girl  out  in  the 
storm,  and  they  were  forced  to  seek  shelter  at  James'  home. 

Mrs.  Vernon  was  deeply  shocked  at  her  son's  behavior, 
and  James  was  furious,  but  powerless. 

The  little  one  caught  cold  from  being  wet  that  night,  the 
result  being  that  she  had  the  croup  before  morning.  James 
had  been  out  late  for  several  nights,  and  being  tired  and 
worn  out  slept  soundly,  not  hearing  the  pitiful  coughing  and 
choking  of  his  little  favorite  until  Mrs.  Vernon  gently 
knocked  upon  his  door.  Just  at  this  moment  the  little  one 
had  a  more  violent  fit  of  coughing.  His  trained  ear  caught 
the  sound  and  he  was  up  in  an  instant.  Hastily  dressing,  he 
ran  into  the  room  where  the  little  sufferer  lay.  The  child 
recognized  him  at  once  and  tried  to  call  his  name,  but  her 
little  throat  was  so  badly  swollen  that  the  attempt  precipi- 
tated another  outburst  of  coughing.  He  saw  in  an  instant 
that  the  case  was  a  serious  one  and  went  to  work  with  a  will, 
for  he  well  knew  that  all  his  skill  was  needed  to  save  the  lit- 
tle one's  life.  He  labored  desperately  over  her  hour  after 
hour,  and  each  hour  his  hopes  grew  fainter. 

Violet  read  despair  on  his  face,  and  wildly  throwing  her- 
self on  the  bed  beside  her  child  she  cried,  "  Save  her!  Save 
her!  Dr.  Vernon,  do  not  let  my  one  hope  and  comfort  be 
taken  from  me!" 

James  laid  a  kindly  hand  upon  her  shoulder  and  said: 

"  All  that  human  aid  can  do  has  been  done,  and  we  must 
leave  the  rest  in  the  hands  of  Him  who  giveth  and  taketh 
at  His  will." 

"Is  there  any  hope  at  all,  doctor?"  she  tearfully  asked. 


THE    ILLNESS   OF   LITTLE    GBACE.  119 

"  Had  it  not  been  for  her  I  would  long  ago  have  given  up. 
You  cannot  think  what  she  is  to  me! " 

A  violent  fit  of  choking  from  the  little  one  now  inter- 
rupted her,  and  the  doctor  once  more  bent  over  his  little 
patient.  After  the  lapse  of  twenty  minutes  he  looked  at  his 
watch  and  said:  "  It  is  now  five  o'clock,  and  in  one  hour  it 
will  be  daylight.  If  I  can  only  keep  her  alive  until  then 
there  will  be  a  change  for  the  better." 

"  God  grant  that  you  may! "  said  Mrs.  Vernon,  fervently, 
and  then  all  three  watchers  relapsed  into  silence. 

With  the  coming  of  dawn  the  little  one  had  a  more  violent 
fit  of  choking  than  she  had  previously  experienced  and  Dr. 
Vernon  fairly  held  his  breath  for  a  short  time.  But  the 
battle  was  won.  The  child's  breathing  became  regular,  and 
she  sank  into  a  deep  slumber  of  exhaustion. 

"Thank  God!"  he  exclaimed,  "the  danger  is  past,  and 
when  she  awakens  she  will  be  better,  but  very  weak.  All  she 
needs  now  is  good  nursing  and  perfect  quiet." 

"  That  she  shall  have !  "  said  Mrs.  Vernon,  "  and  now,  Vio- 
let and  James,  lie  down  and  get  a  little  rest  while  I  watch 
over  her.  Should  there  be  any  change  I  will  call  you  both 
at  once." 

Dr.  Vernon  assured  her  there  would  be  no  need,  and  took 
.a  much-needed  rest.  Violet  remonstrated  with  Mrs.  Ver- 
non, saying  she  would  watch,  but  the  old  lady  had  her  own 
way,  as  she  always  did,  and  Violet  was  finally  persuaded  to 
lie  down  and  take  a  rest. 

When  she  awoke  the  sun  was  throwing  its  bright  rays 
from  the  East  upon  her,  and  she  hastily  made  her  way  to 
Grace's  room. 

Mrs.  Vernon  was  still  sitting  at  the  child's  bedside,  and 
going  up  to  her  Violet  threw  her  arms  about  Mrs.  Vernon's 
neck  and  kissed  her,  saying,  "  How  kind  you  have  ever  been 
to  me,  my  more  than  mother!  " 

Mrs.  Vernon  returned  the  kiss,  and  said,  "  And  you  have 
ever  been  a  kind  and  obedient  daughter  to  me.  I  will  leave 


120  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

you  now  to  watch  by  Grade's  bedside  while  I  go  and 
order  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  refreshments  for  you." 

The  little  one  awoke  in  a  few  moments  after  Mrs.  Vernon 
left  the  room,  and  seeing  her  mother  looking  anxiously  at 
her  she  exclaimed,  "Mamma!  mamma!  I  have  had  such  a 
terrible  dream.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  going  to  die,  and 
then  Uncle  Dim  came  and  said  he  just  wouldn't  let  me  die! 
He  gived  me  some  awful,  awful  bad  medicine,  and  said  I  just 
had  to  live,  because  it  would  make  you  so  sad  if  I  died. 
Mamma,  would  it  make  you  very  sad  if  I  died?  " 

"  Yes,  my  darling,  it  would  break  mamma's  heart  to  lose 
her  little  treasure,"  said  Violet,  clasping  her  little  daughter 
in  her  arms. 

The  little  one  laid  perfectly  quiet  for  a  while,  and  then 
said,  "  Mamma,  why  is  not  Uncle  Dim  my  pa  instead  of  my 
real  pa?  I  love  him  more  than  papa.  He  is  always  so  good 
and  don't  get  drunk  and  strike  you  like  papa  does.  Don't 
you  love  him  the  best,  too?  " 

"  Hush,  my  child,  you  do  not  know  what  you  are  saying/' 
cried  Violet,  hoarsely;  "you  must  not  say  such  naughty, 
wicked  things  about  your  papa." 

"Well,"  persisted  the  little  girl,  "my  Sunday  School 
teacher  says  it  is  just  as  wicked  to  think  things  as  to  say 
them." 

"  But  you  must  not  feel  them  or  think  them,"  said 
Violet. 

The  little  one  appeared  to  be  quite  puzzled  for  a  moment, 
and  then  asked:  "Mamma,  how  can  I  help  it?" 

"  You  must  pray  to  God  to  take  the  wicked  things  out  of 
your  heart,"  replied  Violet,  "and  now  you  must  not  talk 
any  more.  Go  to  sleep,  and  to-morrow  you  may  get  up  and 
we  shall  go  home." 

"  I  would  rather  stay  here  with  grandma  and  Uncle  Dim." 

"  Would  you  stay  here  and  leave  poor  mamma  all  alone  in 
the  other  house?" 

"  You  can  stay,  too,  my  mamma!  " 


THE    ILLNESS    OF   LITTLE    GRACE.  121 

"  No,  no!  Mamma  must  go  to-morrow  and  take  care  of 
papa;  and  now  you  must  not  ask  me  any  more  questions  or 
you  will  be  sick  again." 

The  conversation  tired  the  little  one  out.  She  sank  back 
upon  her  pillow  with  a  sigh  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

Aunt  Lizzie  soon  brought  in  some  fragrant,  steaming  tea 
and  dainty  eatables,  and  Violet  partook  of  the  refreshments, 
after  which  she  lay  down  beside  her  baby.  She  lay  awake 
several  hours,  thinking  of  what  the  child  had  said,  but 
finally  sank  into  a  deep,  dreamless  slumber. 

The  shades  of  evening  were  falling  when  Mrs.  Vernon 
entered  the  room,  and  seeing  Violet  asleep  she  threw  a  cov- 
erlet over  her  and  quitted  the  room,  leaving  the  light  turned 
low. 

James  was  called  out  of  the  city  to  attend  an  unfortunate 
who  had  been  severely  injured  in  a  sawmill  accident.  He 
did  not  return  until  late,  but  Aunt  Lizzie,  his  faithful  old 
nurse,  was  still  up  and  had  a  cup  of  steaming  hot  coffee  wait- 
ing for  him.  James  is  her  favorite,  she  declares,  "because 
he  is  just  like  his  dear,  handsome,  dead  father."  The  old 
colored  lady  and  Uncle  Joe  are  past  ninety,  but  both  are 
still  hale  and  hearty,  and  it  was  Aunt  Lizzie's  boast  that  she 
would  live  to  see  Marse  Doctor  James'  children. 

Doctor  James  would  shake  his  head  playfully,  and  say, 
"  I  am  afraid  you  will  be  disappointed,  mammy." 

"We  shall  see!    We  shall  see!"  she  invariably  replies. 

When  James  finished  his  coffee  he  softly  tip-toed  to  the 
chamber  where  Violet  and  her  little  daughter  lay  fast  asleep. 

He  stood  gazing  down  upon  the  two  for  a  moment  and 
then  turned,  blew  out  the  light  and  softly  stole  from  the 
room. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Jtamk  IBrtrmja  %  £*mt  af  %  ©to  ffltll  Sam 

On  the  day  following  little  Grace's  illness  Frank  got  on 
a  worse  spree  than  usual,  and  was  locked  up  in  the  county 
jail  for  sixty  days. 

Violet  was  penniless,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  kindness 
of  James  and  Mrs.  Vernon  she  and  her  baby  would  more 
than  once  have  gone  to  bed  hungry.  Big-hearted,  good- 
natured  Wilford  and  Mary  also  contributed  their  share. 
Violet  was  too  proud  to  accept  aid  from  either  Wilford  or 
James,  but  Mrs.  Vernon  acted  as  the  diplomat,  and  so  deli- 
cately did  she  arrange  matters  that  Violet  could  not  refuse 
her  aid. 

As  soon  as  Frank  was  released  from  jail  he  went  at  once 
to  the  office  of  Dr.  Vernon  and  demanded  money  for  drink. 
He  had  sunk  so  low  now  that  he  would  resort  to  any  method 
to  obtain  a  drink. 

Dr.  Vernon  firmly  refused  him,  telling  him  it  was  for  his 
own  good  that  he  withheld  money  from  him. 

Frank  then  threatened  to  wreck  dire  vengeance  upon  Vio- 
let if  the  money  were  not  forthcoming. 

"  You  love  her!  You  love  her! "  he  shrieked,  "  and  I  will 
punish  you  through  her." 

James,  in  disgust,  gave  up  trying  to  reason  with  the  sod- 
den wretch,  and  Frank,  seeing  that  his  attempts  at  threat- 
ening were  powerless  adopted  other  tactics. 

"  Give  me  just  money  enough  for  one  drink/'  he  whined, 
"  to  steady  my  nerves." 

"  Why  don't  you  get  trusted  for  one  drink?  " 

"  Joe  McCally  won't  trust  me  any  more  until  I  pay  up  an 
old  score  of  twenty  dollars  which  I  owe  him,"  he  whined 
again.  "  Give  me  just  enough  for  one  drink  and  I  will  take 

122 


FRANK  BETEAYS  THE  SECRET  OF  THE  OLD  MILL  DAM.  123 

back  what  I  said  about  Violet.  Come,  you  love  her,  and  I  will 
give  her  up  to  you.  She  may  be  my  wife  in  name  only.  She 
.shall  be  your  mistress  if  you  will  only  supply  me  with  liquor. 
I  shall  not  live  much  longer  and  then  she  will  be  all  yours." 

"  You  miserable,  drunken  coward,  I  will  thrash  you  within 
an  inch  of  your  life  if  you  ever  dare  mention  such  a  thing 
to  me  again.  Get  out  of  here  before  I  forget  that  you  are 
my  mother's  son  and  strangle  you! "  said  James,  shaking 
him  violently  by  the  shoulder. 

A  look  of  fear  came  into  the  wretched  man's  face,  and  he 
hastily  made  his  way  to  the  door,  snarling: 

"  Curse  you!  I  hate  you!  I  hate  you!  It  was  I  who  told 
Susanne  to  accuse  you  of  ruining  her.  It  was  I  who  led 
Violet  to  the  old  arbor  that  she  might  overhear!  I  it  was 
who  sent  her  to  Violet  afterward  and  had  her  tell  Violet  that 
you  had  ruined  her  young  life,  and  refused  to  marry  her 
because  you  tired  of  her,  and  then  wished  to  marry  Violet! " 

After  hurling  these  words  at  his  brother  he  quickly 
slammed  the  door  and  hurried  down  the  street,  glancing  fur- 
tively over  his  shoulder  to  see  if  he  was  being  pursued  by 
his  brother.  There  was  no  danger  from  that  source,  how- 
ever, for  it  was  with  a  feeeling  of  relief  that  Dr.  Vernon 
saw  the  door  close  upon  the  wretched  man,  who,  meeting  an 
old  acquaintance  of  the  county  jail,  who  had  also  just  been 
released,  he  wheedled  a  half  dollar  from  him  and  hastened 
at  once  to  McCally's  saloon. 

Striding  up  to  the  bar  with  his  head  held  high,  Frank 
flung  the  coin  down  with  an  air  of  triumph  and  ordered  the 
best  in  the  house,  which  was  promptly  given.  Old  Joe  knew 
that  he  would  soon  have  the  remaining  change,  but  in  off- 
hand way  he  casually  inquired  of  Frank  if  he  wished  the 
balance  to  go  toward  the  old  bill. 

"  Not  by  a sight,"  replied  Frank,  ripping  out  a  ter- 
rible oath.  Old  Joe  then  handed  the  change — forty  cents — 
and  Frank  walked  over  to  the  roulette  wheel  and  threw  it  on 
number  seventeen. 


124  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

The  ball  spun  swiftly  around,  finally  going  slower  and 
slower  until  at  last  it  dropped  into  one  of  the  pockets,  and 
lo!  behold,  as  Frank  gazes,  he  sees  he  has  won,  and  the 
croupier  quickly  counted  out  fourteen  dollars  in  checks,  and 
rings  for  the  porter  to  bring  drinks. 

As  Frank  drains  the  contents  of  the  glass  his  shaking 
hands  become  firmer,  the  old  light  flashes  into  his  eyes,  and 
he  is  for  the  time  being  the  cool,  calm  gambler  of  the  old 
days,  when  he  was  called  the  most  reckless  gamester  in  the 
State.  He  wins  steadily,  the  chips  in  front  of  him  grow 
higher  and  higher,  and  pile  up  until  there  are  none  left  on 
the  croupier's  side  of  the  table. 

He  then  cashes  in,  but  he  is  so  drunk  that  he  can  scarcely 
stand,  and  realizing  this  he  thrusts  all  the  money  into  his 
pockets,  staggers  out  of  the  gambling  house  and  goes  reel- 
ing down  the  street. 

After  passing  a  few  stores  he  finds  himself  in  front  of  the 
Merchants'  and  Lumbermen's  National  Bank,  and  stops  for 
a  moment,  gazing  thoughtfully  at  the  entrance.  A  spark  of 
his  old  self  seems  to  possess  him  for  a  moment,  and  he 
quickly  steps  inside  and  deposits  the  money  in  Violet's  name. 
The  amount  is  five  thousand  dollars,  but  he  never  stops  to 
count  it.  The  cashier  makes  out  an  account  book  and  Frank 
thrusts  it  in  his  pocket  and  with  difficulty  makes  his  way 
home. 

Violet  opened  the  door  with  a  sickening  sense  of  disgust 
and  pity,  but  not  observing  her,  and  throwing  himself  upon 
the  couch,  he  fumbles  about  in  his  pockets  for  his  bank  book 
and  hands  it  to  her.  She  opens  it,  and  seeing  the  figures 
inside  her  face  expresses  alarm. 

The  drunken  wretch,  with  the  quickness  which  intoxicated 
persons  sometimes  exhibit,  read  her  thoughts,  and  reassur- 
ingly exclaims,  "You  need  not  be  afraid.  I  did  not  steal 
it!  I've  won  back  some  of  the  money  I  lost  in  old  Joe's 
saloon." 

He  soon  sank  into  a  drunken  slumber,  but  after  a  short 


FRANK  BETRAYS  THE  SECRET  OF  THE  OLD  MILL  DAM.  125 

time  the  delirium  tremens  seized  him  and  he  was  screaming 
in  agony  and  fear.  The  face  of  the  girl  whom  he  threw  over 
the  dam  was  ever  before  him.  He  imagined  her  arms  were 
still  about  him  to  save  herself  from  being  hurled  into  the 
seething,  whirling  waters. 

Violet,  in  terror,  hurried  over  to  James'  office,  and  was 
fortunate  enough  to  find  both  physicians  in;  also  Tobias  and 
Martha,  who  had  long  since  left  Frank's  service.  The  imp 
was  there,  too,  and  they  all  hastened  to  where  Frank  lay, 
raving,  cursing  and  begging  in  turns. 

Little  Grace  was  sent  away  that  she  might  not  witness  the 
scene.  It  took  the  combined  efforts  of  the  four  men  to  pre- 
vent him  from  doing  himself  an  injury. 

"See  her!  See  her!  See  her!  "  he  shrieked.  "  She  is  fall- 
ing over  the  dam!  Great  God,  Marguerite,  forgive  me! 
There,  curse  you,  you  shall  never  live  to  tell  Violet  how  I 
have  ruined  you.  I  mean  to  make  her  my  wife,  and  you 
shall  be  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  river  with  that  unborn 
brat  of  yours.  There,  see  her,  she  has  sunk  from  sight! " 
he  excitedly  cried,  his  voice  trailing  into  a  whisper  as  he 
raised  himself  in  bed  and  nervously  pointed  over  the  foot- 
board. "  See  the  dark  water! "  he  breathed,  gazing  stead- 
fastly down  at  the  carpet,  with  dilating  eyes  and  quivering 
nostrils.  "  See,"  he  continued,  breathlessly,  "the  waters 
close  over  her  head,  and  no  one  will  ever  know  her  secret. 
I  have  nothing  to  fear  from  her  now,  and  I  am  safe.  Not 
a  soul  has  seen  me,"  he  muttered,  looking  cautiously  around 
the  room.  "I  will  hurry  back  home  and  never  be  sus- 
pected! " 

The  whole  scene  of  that  fatal  night  was  gone  over  again 
and  again,  and  the  five  persons  who  watched  him  knew  that 
he  was  guilty  of  the  murder  of  poor,  misguided  Marguerite 
Manning. 

The  two  physicians  at  last  succeeded  in  quieting  him  by 
the  use  of  powerful  drugs,  and  he  finally  sank  into  a  stupor 
from  which  he  did  not  awake  for  hours. 


126  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

The  news  of  Frank's  delirium  was  carefully  kept  from 
Mrs.  Vernon,  who,  poor  soul,  already  had  trouble  enough. 

The  following  day  Elph,  who  was  now  almost  a  man 
grown,  came  into  the  office  as  the  two  doctors  were  discuss- 
ing Frank's  case  and  trying  to  discover  some  means  with 
which  to  prevent  him  from  drinking,  even  to  the  advisa- 
bility of  using  drastic  measures. 

"Good  God!"  Elph  heard  Wilford  exclaim,  "suppose  he 
should  get  the  tremens  somewhere  where  he  might  be  heard 
by  outsiders  going  over  that  scene!  He  would  be  arrested 
and  hanged.  The  shock  would  kill  your  mother." 

The  two  men  were  so  deeply  engaged  in  conversation  that 
they  did  not  hear  Elph,  who  stood,  hat  in  hand,  waiting  to 
be  spoken  to.  At  last  he  coughed  slightly,  and  both  doctors 
sprang  to  their  feet  in  alarm,  but  sank  back  when  they  saw 
who  the  intruder  was. 

"  Great  heavens,  what  a  scare!  "  exclaimed  Wilford.  "  Old 
man,  we  must  be  more  careful  in  the  future." 

After  Elph  greeted  them  James  said,  "  What  is  the  matter 
now,  Elph?  There  appears  to  be  something  you  would  like 
to  say." 

"  There  is,  sah,  there  is!  "  said  Elph,  seating  himself.  "  I 
done  got  to  unburden  my  mind,  sah." 

"  Well,  out  with  it,  then,"  said  Dr.  Ellis;  "  confession  is 
good  for  the  soul." 

"  Well,  it  am  dis  way,  sah.  One  ebening  long  ago  I  went 
down  to  the  ribber  fishing  for  bull  heads,  and  I  done  climbed 
down  one  of  de  piers  ob  de  dam  and  was  fishin'.  It  was  after 
dark,  and  bery  quiet  dere,  and  de  bull  heads  done  bite  like 
fury  dat  air  night.  Well,  sah,  to  come  to  my  story,  sah,  just 
as  I  was  thinkin'  ob  gittin'  ready  to  leabe  fo'  home,  sah, 
'long  come  Marse  Frank  and  Miss  Marguerite.  Dey  was 
quarreling,  sah,  and  Marse  Frank  he  done  say,  '  I  frow  youh 
ober  de  dam  if  you  don't  do  as  I  tole  you! '  Well,  sah.  Miss 
Marguerite  she  say, '  I'll  neber  do  dat.  I'll  die  befo'  I'll  ruin 


FRANK  BETRAYS  THE  SECRET  OF  THE  OLD  MILL  DAM.    127 

dose  two  young  lives/  Marse  Frank,  he  gits  in  a  terrible 
rage  and  say,  '  Then  die  you  shall! '  and  he  frows  her  off  into 
de  dam.  She  screamed  and  Marse  Frank  run  away.  I  had 
been  sittin'  very  quiet  and  still  in  de  shadow  of  a  huge 
stile,  and  dey  had  not  heard  me  nor  seen  me  all  dis  time,  sah. 
Marse  Frank's  footsteps  had  not  died  off,  sah,  before  I  jump 
down  to  sabe  Miss  Marguerite,  but  it  am  dark,  the  waters  am 
swift  and  foamy,  and  I  failed  to  see  her.  I  walked  up  and 
down  both  banks  ob  de  ribber,  but  I  neber  sees  any  trace  ob 
Miss  Marguerite.  Den  I  runs  home  and  goes  to  bed/' 

"  But  why  didn't  you  tell  everybody  what  you  saw  and 
have  them  search  the  river  right  away?  "  asked  Dr.  Vernon, 
sternly. 

"  In  dem  days,"  replied  Elph,  "  I  libed  in  mortal  fear  ob 
Marse  Frank  and  I  dassant  say  anything.  Youh  see,"  con- 
tinued the  poor  imp,  whose  black  countenance  was  working 
with  fear,  "  Marse  Frank  done  been  bery  cruel  to  me,  and 
harsh  sometimes,  and  I  too  much  afeared  to  say  anything 
about  it,  so  I  just  keeped  quiet  and  have  neber  said  nothin'." 
And  his  knees  were  knocking  together  so  badly  that  they 
would  scarce  support  his  trembling  body. 

"I  reckon  dey  will  hang  me  for  accomplishment  in  de 
crime,  but  I  can't  help  it;  I  just  got  to  confess." 

James  and  Wilford  gazed  at  each  other  in  silent  horror 
for  a  short  space  of  time.  Here  was  an  entirely  different 
phase  of  the  case. 

After  considering  a  few  moments  James  said:  "The  deed 
is  done  and  nothing  will  bring  her  back.  For  mother's  sake 
and  little  Grace  we  must  all  remain  silent.  It  will  be  a  ter- 
rible secret  to  keep,  but  what  can  we  do?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Wilford. 

"Elph,"  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "you  must  keep  your  mouth 
closed,  and  never  reveal  to  any  human  being  what  you  saw  at 
the  old  mill  dam." 

"All  right,  sah.    If  you  say,  sah,  I  done  close  up  like  a 


128  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

clam  now  again  'cause  my  conscience  am  relieved  now  and 
youse,  of  course,  done  knows  best,  sah,"  and  bowing,  the 
darkey  withdrew. 

"  This  is  a  terrible  state  of  affairs,"  said  Dr.  Ellis,  after 
Elph  had  gone.  "  It  almost  makes  me  feel  as  if  I  was  that 
poor  girl's  murderer  myself.  Booh! "  he  exclaimed,  "  it 
gives  me  the  jim-jams! " 


CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

far 


One  year  has  passed  away,  a  year  fraught  with  misery  for 
Violet.  Let  us  look  in  at  her  as  she  prepares  the  evening 
meal. 

The  husband  lies  upon  his  couch  in  the  grip  of  his  old 
enemy  —  liquor.  The  little  girl,  in  a  clean  but  plain  little 
dress,  alternately  watches  first  her  mother  and  then  her 
father.  But  she  need  have  no  fear  of  him  for  hours  to 
come,  for  it  will  take  some  time  for  the  fumes  of  the  whis- 
key to  die  away.  Better  for  him  and  for  all  connected  with 
him  had  he  never  aroused  from  that  drunken  stupor. 

The  following  morning,  as  he  went  to  old  Joe's  for  his 
usual  morning  drink  (he  now  cleans  out  the  cuspidors  and 
sweeps  the  floors  for  a  certain  amount  of  drinks),  he  met 
George  Ashburn,  an  old  acquaintance  whom  he  had  known 
in  better  days.  George  had  been  away  from  the  city  for 
several  years,  and  was  ignorant  of  Frank's  downfall.  He 
was  deeply  shocked  by  the  appearance  of  the  once  dapper 
young  bank  cashier,  clubman  and  society  man.  At  first 
Ashburn  was  unable  to  believe  the  evidence  of  his  own 
senses,  but  gradually  the  truth  dawned  upon  him. 

Frank  wabbled  up  to  him,  and  shaking  him  vigorously  by 
the  hand  asked  how  his  health  was  and  where  he  had  been 
and  what  he  was  now  doing,  and  ended  up  by  saying: 

"  By  Jove,  old  man!  I  happen  to  be  a  little  short  this 
morning.  Can  you  lend  me  a  dollar  till  evening?  " 

George  was  glad  to  get  off  so  easily  and  reached  in  his 
pocket  for  the  dollar,  but  finding  that  he  had  no  smaller 
change  than  a  five  handed  it  to  Frank,  saying: 

"  There  I  guess  that  will  answer  just  as  well." 

He  grabbed  on  the  coveted  bill  with  the  eagerness  of  a 

129 


130  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VEENON. 

half -starved  child.    Here  was  drink,  drink!    All  he  wanted 
for  an  entire  day. 

The  two  parted,  George  Ashburn  going  to  his  hotel  (he 
had  just  arrived  on  the  morning  train)  and  Frank  to  old 
Joe's  place.  Walking  up  to  the  bar,  his  head  thrown  backy 
he  threw  the  money  down  upon  the  counter  with  the  air  of 
a  millionaire,  saying  at  the  same  time,  "  You  can  clean  your 
own floor  this  morning." 

At  the  sight  of  the  five  old  Joe  was  politeness  itself,  and 
he  set  the  bottle  upon  the  bar,  saying,  "  "Well,  Frank,  take 
your  first  drink  with  me.  I  am  a  little  dry  myself  this- 
morning." 

Frank  accepted  with  alacrity,  and  then  treated  back,  but 
old  Joe  at  once  dropped  drinking,  saying,  "  Thanks,  Frank, 
I'll  take  a  cigar  this  time,"  and  helped  himself  to  one,  which 
he  put  in  his  pocket  and  replaced  in  the  box  later. 

At  this  moment  the  imp  came  into  the  barroom.  He  had  a 
fondness  for  rum,  which  occasionally  got  the  best  of  him,, 
and  at  these  times,  when  overloaded,  he  always  went  away  in 
some  quiet  nook  until  sober  again. 

Dr.  Vernon,  on  every  occasion,  sternly  rebuked  him,  and 
the  imp  solemnly  swore  jusft  as  often  that  he  would  never 
repeat  the  offense  again. 

As  Elph  stepped  up  to  the  bar,  Frank,  who  was  pretty  well 
drunk  by  this  time,  invited  him  to  have  a  drink,  but  the 
imp  turned  his  back  contemptuously  upon  him,  saying,. 
"  Marse  Frank,  I  reckon  I'se  able  to  buy  my  own  drinks. 
Youh'd  better  go  home  and  buy  something  for  youh  starvin' 
family." 

Elph  had  more  than  once  contributed  his  earnings  to  aid 
Violet,  but  in  such  a  way  that  she  never  suspected  from 
whence  it  came. 

As  the  imp  turned  his  back  upon  Frank,  the  latter 
shouted,  "  You  infernal  scoundrel  of  a  black,  good-for-noth- 
ing nigger,  do  you  dare  dictate  to  me?  I'll  break  every  bone 
in  your  black  anatomy!  Oh!  that  this  was  still  slave-time, 


ARRESTED   FOR   MURDER.  131 

that  I  might  heat  your  black  hide  until  you  would  he  glad  to 
beg  for  mercy! " 

"Marse  Frank,  you  done  strike  me  often  when  I  was  a 
boy,  but  don't  you  nebber  try  that  trick  again,  'cause  if 
youh  does,  Fse  sure  going  to  do  youh  great  bodily  harm! " 

Frank  knew  that  Elph  would  carry  out  his  threat,  and 
relapsed  into  silence,  muttering  something  about  the  impu- 
dence of  niggers  now-a-days,  while  the  latter  calmly  drank 
his  rum  in  silence. 

"Golly!  Dat  am  good  liker,  Marse  Joe.  I  fink  I  done 
take  anudder  drink."  Old  Joe  quickly  sat  another  bottle 
on  the  counter,  and  Elph  quickly  disposed  of  another  glass. 
"  Golly,  Marse  Joe,  dat  liker  am  gittin'  better  ebery  minit. 
I  done  fink  I  has  anudder  one." 

By  this  time  he,  too,  was  feeling  as  if  he  were  a  million- 
aire, and,  ordering  a  cigar,  he  went  to  a  card  table  and  sat 
down  to  meditate  upon  the  merits  of  old  Joe's  wet  goods. 

Frank  drank  a  tremendous  amount  of  liquor,  and  it  began 
to  have  the  effect  of  making  him  talkative,  and,  finally 
becoming  boastful,  he  began  reciting  some  imaginary  valiant 
deeds  he  had  once  performed.  Just  as  Frank  finished  tell- 
ing about  a  particularly  brave  deed  he  had  done,  a  gruff 
voice  at  his  elbow  thundered,  "Aw,  come  off!  That's 
nothin'.  I  once  killed  a  man  on  the  St.  Joe  River  for 
calling  me  a  liar!  " 

Frank  turned  quickly  to  look  at  the  new  speaker,  who 
was  a  new  arrival  whom  Frank,  talking  and  gesticulating 
excitedly,  had  not  seen  come  in.  He  was  a  large,  raw-boned, 
burly  lumberman,  who  was  also  under  the  influence  of 
liquor,  and  not  too  sweet-tempered. 

"  Pooh!  "  hiccoughed  Frank,  not  to  be  outdone.  "  I  once 
killed  a  girl  only  because  she  refused  to  do  my  bidding! " 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!  "  shouted  the  crowd,  which  had  grown 
bigger  as  the  morning  advanced.  "You  never  had  the 
courage  of  a  rabbit!  " 

"You  kill  anybody,  indeed!"  exclaimed  the  big  lumber- 


132  THE   MERCHANT   OP   MT.   VEENON. 

man.  "You  would  be  more  likely  to  sit  down  tamely  and 
let  somebody  kill  you!  Ha!  Ha!" 

"  You  big  blundering  son-of-a-gun! "  exclaimed  Frank, 
savagely.  "I  tell  you  I  did  kill  her,  and  then  took  the 
officers  and  showed  her  dead  body  to  them! " 

"Will  you  kindly  tell  us  what  her  name  was?"  asked  a 
bystander,  with  a  grin. 

" Cert-in-n-ly,"  stuttered  Frank.  "The  ma-jor-jor-i-t-ty 
of — of  you  know  her  well.  Her  name — name  was  Mar- 
Marger-Mar-gue-rite  Man-Manning!  I  ruined  her,  then — 
then  threw  her  over  the  old  mill  dam  on — on  the  night  of 
April  22,  1886,  because  she  would  not  take  (hiccough)  part 
in  a  scheme  I  wished  (hie)  to-to  carry  through," — throwing 
his  arms  before  him  in  an  excited  gesture  to  give  emphasis 
to  his  statement. 

Silence  fell  upon  the  barroom  for  an  instant,  and  all  eyes 
were  turned  upon  old  William  Manning,  who  stepped  across 
the  threshold  just  in  time  to  hear  Frank's  last  statement. 
Mr.  Manning  occasionally  dropped  in  to  get  a  glass  of  ale, 
but  never  remained  long  in  the  place.  He  would  sip  his 
glass  of  ale,  saying  nothing  to  anyone,  and  then  quietly 
depart.  People  said  that  he  had  always  been  a  little  queer 
since  the  tragic  death  of  his  idolized  daughter,  and  it  is 
certain  that  he  never  quite  became  himself  after  the  loss 
of  lovely  Marguerite.  He  did  not  recover  from  the  blow, 
and  years  after  he  would  often  sit  for  hours  brooding  over 
her  cherished  memory,  not  speaking  to  anyone  nor  wishing 
to  be  disturbed. 

Old  Mr.  Manning  stood  staring  at  Frank  for  a  full  minute 
after  hearing  those  words  pronounced,  and  then,  with  a  sav- 
age cry  of  fury,  he  sprang  forward  like  a  tiger,  grasped 
Frank  by  the  throat  and  bore  him  to  the  floor.  It  took  the 
united  strength  of  the  big  lumberman  and  several  others 
to  pull  him  off  of  the  nearly  senseless  Frank.  He  raved  and 
cursed  like  a  madman,  declaring  he  would  tear  him  limb 
from  limb. 


ARRESTED   FOR  MURDER.  133 

Elph,  sitting  at  the  card  table,  with  his  head  in  his  hands, 
had  been  partly  aroused  upon  hearing  Frank  declare  that  he 
had  killed  Marguerite.  He  witnessed  Mr.  Manning  strike 
Frank  to  the  floor,  and  then  be  forcibly  dragged  off  of  his 
prostrate  body. 

The  tumult  sharpened  Elph's  benumbed  senses,  and  he 
sprang  to  his  feet  with  a  cry  of  terror,  howling,  "  I  done 
'fess  everything!  I  seed  Marse  Frank  frow  her  into  the 
water,  and  den  I  done  tried  to  sabe  her,  Meed  I  did,  Mr. 
Manning! " 

"You  infernal  black  scoundrel!  Hold  your  tongue!  Do 
you  want  us  to  be  hanged?  "  growled  Frank,  who  was  partly 
sobered  now,  and  fully  realized  the  mistake  he  had  made, 
and  silently  cursed  himself  for  doing  so. 

In  all  probability,  had  Elph  not  fallen  on  his  knees  and 
howled  out  those  terror-stricken  words,  Frank's  boasts 
would  simply  have  been  regarded  as  the  senseless  rav- 
ings of  a  drunken  man. 

"There  is  something  more  in  this  than  appears  on  the 
surface/'  muttered  old  Joe  to  himself.  "  I  heard  Frank  go 
over  that  scene  when  he  had  the  delirium  tremens.  I  put 
him  in  a  back  room  and  had  the  boys  hold  him  there  until 
the  marshal  came  and  got  him." 

Aloud  he  said,  "  Boys,  I  believe  the  drunken  scoundrel 
really  did  kill  that  girl.  I  have  heard  him  go  over  the  scene 
once  before.  There  are  some  of  the  boys  here  in  the  room 
now  who  helped  me  hold  him  in  the  back  room  when  he  was 
*  seeing  things.' " 

"  You  bet  we  did,"  said  a  couple  of  blear-eyed  inhabitants 
of  Joe's  place.  "  We  heard  him  go  over  the  whole  business, 
but  thought  it  was  one  of  his  nightmares  along  with  the 
rest." 

Old  Mr.  Manning  was  still  struggling-  with  his  captors 
when  old  Joe  stepped  from  behind  the  bar  and  said,  "  Cease 
struggling,  old  man,  and  we'll  pump  the  nigger.  He  is 
drunk  now,  and  we  can  get  the  whole  story  from  him.  It  is 


134  THE    MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

our  only  chance,  for  when  he's  sober  he's  got  a  mouth  that 
will  close  as  tight  as  a  clam  when  it  comes  to  telling  the 
family  secrets  of  the  Vernons." 

"  Come,  nigger,  own  up  now,  and  tell  us  what  you  saw 
at  the  old  dam." 

"  I  didn't  see  nofing,"  said  the  imp,  who,  like  Frank, 
began  to  realize  that  he  had  made  a  fool  of  himself. 

"  Oh,  ho!  So  that  is  the  way  the  wind  blows,  is  it!  Man- 
ning, take  my  advice,"  continued  old  Joe.  "  Go  and  have 
them  both  locked  up  on  a  charge  of  murder.  There  is  no 
doubt  in  my  mind  but  what  he  committed  the  crime  and  the 
nigger  either  helped  him  or  was  a  witness  to  the  whole 
d affair." 

"  We  will  stick  by  you,"  said  one  of  the  two  men  who  had 
helped  to  hold  Frank  in  the  back  room  upon  the  other  occa- 
sion when  having  delirium  tremens. 

"Yes,"  said  the  other,  addressing  Mr.  Manning,  "you 
may  count  on  us  for  part  of  the  evidence." 

"  That  I  will! "  said  Mr.  Manning,  who  now  ceased  strug- 
gling for  the  first  time.  "  Hold  them  and  I  will  swear  out 
a  warrant." 

"Who's  going  to  swear  out  a  warrant?"  asked  Ted 
Randall,  stepping  across  the  threshold.  Ted  Randall  is  the 
city  marshal,  and  a  well-known  character  in  Mt.  Vernon. 

"Randall,  I  firmly  believe  we  have  got  the  murderer  or 
murderers  of  Marguerite  Manning,"  said  Joe. 

"  Do  tell,"  drawled  Randall,  who  was  a  down-east  Yankee. 
"  This  do  beat  anything  I've  heerd  of  since  old  Manse,  our 
pet  cow,  had  twins.  Well!  Well!  It  do  beat  all!  Wall,  if 
they  do  be  the  murderers  of  that  Manning  girl,  I  reckon  I'll 
be  obliged  to  lock  them  both  up.  This  last  affair  will  be  a 
sad  blow  to  Mrs.  Vernon  and  Doc,  but  duty  is  duty,  and  I 
must  abide  by  my  oath  of  office." 

"  Come,  Vernon,"  he  said,  not  unkindly,  "  I  must  lock 
you  up  again." 

"  It  will  be  nothing  new,"  growled  the  discomfited  vil- 


ARRESTED    FOR   MURDER.  135 

lain.  "  I've  occupied  every  cell  in  the  cursed  building,  and 
I  guess  I  can  stand  it  this  time." 

"  And  just  think/'  said  old  Joe,  maliciously.  "  Your  hon- 
orable old  father  was  the  chap  who  donated  the  entire 
amount  to  construct  it,  and  you  made  your  boast  that  a  safer 
one  was  never  constructed  in  the  State  of  Michigan/' 

"  I'se  done  going  to  break  youh  head,  youh  good-f  o'- 
nofin'  rum-sellin'  red-nosed  Irishman,  youh  ebber  say  a  word 
'bout  my  ole  dead  master! " 

"Good  for  you,  Elph!"  shouted  the  crowd.  "  Old  man 
Vernon  was  the  best  man  we  ever  had  in  this  here  town." 

"  Old  Joe,"  continued  one  of  the  men,  "  is  a  little  sore 
because  the  old  gent  threatened  to  close  him  up.  He  was 
once  or  twice  caught  red-handed  rifling  the  pockets  of  some 
of  the  boys  who  came  in  from  the  woods  with  a  month's 
wages  in  their  pockets.  He  used  to  get  them  drunk  and 
put  them  in  the  back  room,  take  their  money  and  then 
swear  that  some  one  else  had  robbed  them." 

Old  Joe  knew  this  was  true,  and,  seeing  his  mistake,  he 
apologized  and  called  up  the  house  to  drink  at  his  expense, 
a  very  unusual  thing,  indeed. 

All  drank  except  Elph  and  Mr.  Manning,  who  left  their 
glasses  untouched. 

"What's  the  matter,  nigger?"  asked  a  lumberman. 
"Has  the  thoughts  of  roosting  in  the  calaboose  to-night 
scared  away  all  your  thirst?" 

Elph  seized  the  glass,  dashed  it  upon  the  floor,  where  it 
burst  into  a  thousand  pieces,  exclaiming,  "  I'se  nebber, 
nebber  going  to  touch  dat  stuff  no  mo',  'cause  I  done  be- 
trayed what  Marse  James  made  me  swear  to  keep  silent." 

"  So,  so!  The  doctor  is  mixed  up  in  this  affair  also," 
chuckled  old  Joe.  "This  promises  to  be  rich  indeed!" 

Poor  Elph  had  made  another  fatal  blunder  and  saw  his 
mistake  when  it  was  too  late. 

"  Marse  Eandall,  lock  me  up  and  hang  me!  I'se  not  fit 
to  libe  any  mo'!  To  fink  I  would  do  dis!  I  can  nebber  look 


136  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

Marse  James  in  de  face  again!  He  would  just  look  sad  and 
say  nofin'  mean  or  bad  to  me.  I  jes'  wanna  be  hung  now!  " 

"Elph,"  said  Randall,  "I  believe  you  have  the  whitest 

heart  in  you  I  ever  see,  and,  d me,  I  will  resign  before 

I'll  lock  you  up  in  that  d dungeon.  I  don't  believe  you 

are  guilty  of  any  wrong-doing,  although  you  seem  to  be 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  facts  in  the  case/' 

"  That's  right,  Randall,"  chorused  the  crowd.  "  Elph  is 
true  blue,  even  if  he  is  a  nigger,  and  if  he  promises  not  to 
run  away,  you  can  gamble  on  it  that  he  will  be  found  when 
wanted! " 

"  What  do  you  say,  Manning?  "  asked  Randall,  turning  to 
the  father  of  Marguerite. 

"  I  say,  let  him  go.  I  don't  believe  he  had  a  thing  to  do- 
with  my  daughter's  death.  That  infernal  scoundrel  has  got 
him  mixed  up  in  it  in  some  way  probably  to  shield  himself." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Manning.  You  have  relieved  me  of  a 
painful  duty.  I  don't  mind  locking  the  other  one  up,  except 
when  I  think  of  his  poor  mother  and  those  near  to  him. 

"  Boys,  when  my  little  gal  had  the  diphtheria  some  years 
ago  and  my  old  lady  lying  sick  and  helpless  on  her  back,  I 
cut  my  foot  in  the  lumber  woods  and  was  unable  to  work, 
besides  being  head  over  heels  in  debt. 

"Wall,  the  young  doctor  came  down  to  the  house  when 
he  heard  of  it,  cured  the  old  woman  and  my  little  gal,  and 
his  dear  old  mother  just  watched  beside  them  'ere  sick  ones 
until  they  got  well.  And  now  to  think  it  must  be  my  hand 
that  places  her  son  behind  the  bars,  perhaps  forever.  Boys, 
it  don't  seem  right!  I  didn't  mind  locking  him  up  before 
because  I  felt  I  was  doing  him  and  everyone  else  a  service, 
but  it  is  different  now!  " 

"I'll  tell  you  what  you  can  do,  Randall,"  said  our  old 
acquaintance,  the  big  burly  lumberman.  "  Before  he  can 
be  locked  up  upon  a  charge  of  murder  a  warrant  must  be 
sworn  out  by  Mr.  Manning.  Watch  the  prisoner  while  Man- 
ning goes  and  swears  out  a  wararnt,  and  do  you  make  your- 


ARRESTED   FOR   MURDER.  137 

self  scarce  for  a  while.  The  sheriff  will  then  probably  come 
and  take  the  prisoner  himself." 

"  Say,  Mr.  Lumberman,  you  ought  to  be  a  lawyer  instead 
of  an  axeman.  Why,  dern  my  boot-tops,  if  you  don't  look 
jest  like  one! " 

"  Yes,  Randall.  I  was  once  the  most  promising  young 
lawyer  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  but  rum  was  my  master,  and 
I  sacrificed  home,  parents,  friends,  the  girl  who  loved  me, 
ambition — everything,  for  that  cursed  stuff  called  rum!  I 
left  home  and  came  to  the  lumber  woods  of  Michigan  to  try 
and  get  away  from  temptation.  I  have  partly  succeeded  in 
downing  the  old  enemy,  but  occasionally  I  fail  and  become 
a  boasting  fool,  a  jibbering  idiot,  as  you  witnessed  but  a 
short  while  ago." 

A  moment's  silence  followed  this  somewhat  lengthy 
speech,  and  then  Manning  addressed  the  lumberman,  say- 
ing, "  Stranger,  you  are  all  right.  I  will  act  upon  your 
advice  and  go  at  once  to  swear  out  the  warrant." 

The  news  spread  through  the  city  like  wild  fire  that  Frank 
Vernon,  once  the  cashier  of  the  Savings  Bank  and  partner 
in  the  Vernon  Mercantile  Lumber  and  Banking  Company, 
now  the  city  drunkard,  is  behind  the  bars  upon  the  terrible 
charge  of  murdering  beautiful  young  Marguerite  Manning. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


The  coming  trial  caused  widespread  comment,  owing  to 
the  prisoner's  once  high  social  position. 

The  newspapers  took  up  the  case,  some  of  the  most  dili- 
gent reporters  even  going  back  to  the  history  of  his  fore- 
fathers and  following  up  his  ancestry  and  history  up  to  the 
time  of  the  trial. 

His  wife,  it  was  stated,  had  been  but  wife  in  name  only 
for  the  past  year.  She  had  learned  his  horrible  secret 
from  his  drunken  mutterings,  but  for  her  child's  sake  she 
had  kept  the  terrible  secret  locked  up  in  her  own  bosom. 

His  brother,  one  of  the  most  skillful  physicians  in  the 
State,  was  also  aware  of  the  wretched  man's  crime,  having 
learned  of  it  in  the  same  manner  as  the  broken-hearted 
wife. 

His  mother,  it  was  stated,  was  completely  prostrated,  and 
seldom  left  the  home  occupied  by  herself  and  youngest  son, 
the  doctor. 

The  sister  of  the  accused  man,  "Dr.  Ellis's  wife,"  was  in 
constant  attendance  upon  the  mother,  who  it  was  feared 
would  never  leave  the  bed  which  she  had  taken  to  when  the 
news  reached  her  of  her  son's  terrible  crime. 

It  was  also  stated  that  there  was  no  possible  doubt  con- 
cerning his  guilt,  as  a  negro  servant  had  been  a  witness  to 
the  whole  terrible  scene,  but  had  kept  silent  through  fear 
and  the  desire  to  help  his  young  master. 

The  best  lawyers  in  the  State  were  to  be  obtained.  The 
wife  had  about  four  thousand  dollars  left  from  an  amount  of 
money  the  accused  had  won  at  a  gaming  table. 

The  husband  had  won  the  money  while  drunk,  and  had 
deposited  it  in  a  bank  in  his  wife's  name  and  forgot  the 
transaction  immediately  after. 

138 


THE   TRIAL.  139 

His  friends  at  the  saloon  had  told  him  about  it  several 
times,  but  he  had  always  regarded  their  words  as  a  banter, 
and  paid  no  attention  to  the  matter. 

The  wife  was  now  using  the  money  in  an  attempt  to  save 
her  husband  from  the  gallows  for  her  little  daughter's  sake. 

It  was  rumored  that  some  great  lawyer  from  Illinois 
was  to  make  the  plea  which  it  was  hoped  would  save  his 
neck  at  least  from  the  hangman's  noose.  Who  he  was  no 
one  seemed  to  know,  and  as  the  day  of  the  trial  approached 
the  excitement  became  intense. 

The  feeble  old  father  and  mother  of  the  dead  girl  were 
determined  that  the  destroyer  of  their  daughter  should  not 
go  unpunished. 

The  saddest  feature  of  the  case  was  the  fact  that  Dr. 
Vernon,  brother  of  the  accused  man,  had  once  saved  the  life 
of  their  son  at  the  risk  of  his  own. 

The  rescue  was  made  before  the  crime  was  committed  by 
the  brother.  The  lad  was  eleven  years  of  age  at  the  time, 
"but  was  now  attending  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor  at  the 
doctor's  expense,  who  hoped  to  make  him  a  physician. 

The  affection  between  the  doctor  and  the  lad  was  very 
strong,  which,  said  the  newspapers,  made  the  case  one  of 
the  saddest  and  most  complicated  the  State  had  ever  been 
confronted  with. 

When  the  case  came  to  trial,  the  father  of  the  murdered 
girl  was  the  first  witness  put  on  the  stand. 

He  related  how  his  daughter  had  complained  of  feeling 
ill  on  the  night  of  April  22, 1886,  and  had  gone  to  her  room, 
as  he  supposed,  to  retire,  and  of  his  going  to  work  early 
the  following  morning  in  the  Vernon  Saw  Mill,  and  then 
learning  of  her  absence  a  few  hours  later;  how  they  had 
searched  the  woods  and  river,  finally  finding  her  dead  body 
in  the  Chippewa  River,  several  miles  below  the  mill  dam. 

As  the  old  man  concluded  his  narrative,  the  prosecutor 
arose  and  said,  "You  are  the  father  of  the  murdered  girl, 
Marguerite  Manning,  are  you  not?  " 


140  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

The  counsel  for  the  defense  was  on  his  feet  instantly,  and, 
before  the  old  man  could  reply,  he  said,  "  I  object,  your 
Honor,  on  the  ground  that  it  has  not  been  proven  that  she 
was  murdered." 

"  The  objection  is  sustained,"  said  the  Judge.  "  Please 
refer  to  the  dead  girl  as  Marguerite  Manning." 

"As  your  Honor  wishes.  I  merely  wished  to  impress, 
upon  the  minds  of  the  jurymen  how  she  came  to  her  death." 

The  counsel  for  the  accused  again  sprang  to  his  feet, 
accusing  the  prosecution  of  trying  to  influence  the  minds 
of  the  jury,  who,  he  declared,  were  all  intelligent  men,  capa- 
ble in  every  way  of  following  the  facts  of  the  case  without 
the  aid  of  the  prosecution. 

The  Judge  rapped  impatiently  on  his  desk,  declaring  he 
would  fine  them  both  if  they  did  not  cease  wrangling. 

"Did  you  ever  have  any  reason  to  suspect  that  your 
daughter  had  any  motive  to  destroy  herself?  "  was  the  next 
question  asked  by  the  prosecution. 

The  old  man  was  visibly  affected  by  the  question,  but 
replied: 

"None  whatever." 

"  Did  she  have  a  lover  or  keep  company  with  any  one?  " 

"  She  used  to  meet  Frank  Vernon  down  by  the  river 
nearly  every  night  for  a  long  period  preceding  her  death." 

"Did  the  accused  ever  come  to  the  home  to  see  her? " 

"I  object.  The  question  is  immaterial  and  of  no  conse- 
quence," said  the  counsel  for  the  defense. 

"  The  objection  is  overruled.  The  witness  may  answer 
the  question." 

"Did  the  accused  ever  come  to  the  house  to  see  your 
daughter?"  the  prosecution  again  asked. 

"  Never." 

"You  are  quite  sure  of  that?" 

"Yes,  because  myself  and  wife  both  remonstrated  with 
her,  telling  her  she  was  jeopardizing  her  reputation  by  meet- 
ing him  thus." 


THE   TRIAL.  141 

"  What  did  your  daughter  say  when  you  tried  to  dissuade 
her  from  meeting  the  accused?  " 

"  She  replied  that  she  loved  him  and  that  she  would  meet 
him,  cost  her  what  it  may." 

"Did  you  ever  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  accused 
had  any  reason  to  wish  her  death?  " 

"  Never  until  yesterday." 

"  What  are  your  reasons  for  believing  that  he  wished  her 
death  since  yesterday?" 

"  Susanne  Kothford,  a  woman  who  is  slowly  dying  of  con- 
sumption and  remorse,  sent  me  a  note  yesterday  begging 
that  I  come  over  to  her  home  and  see  her.  When  I  arrived 
she  said  she  had  a  secret  on  her  mind  and  had  good  reason 
to  believe  that  Frank  Vernon  threw  my  daughter  over  the 
mill  dam." 

This  last  statement  caused  a  stir  in  the  court  room,  and 
for  a  moment  consternation  showed  plainly  on  the  faces 
of  the  counsel  for  the  defense,  and  they  hastily  held  a  con- 
sultation among  themselves. 

Here  was  an  unexpected  blow  from  the  prosecution  that 
put  a  different  phase  on  the  case. 

"  That  is  all,"  said  the  prosecutor,  with  a  satisfied  look  on 
his  face  as  he  looked  across  the  table  at  the  array  of  lawyers 
arraigned  against  him. 

The  chief  counsel  for  the  defense  now  arose  and  prepared 
to  break  down  the  mountain  of  damaging  testimony  which 
the  prosecution  had  piled  up.  He  was  none  other  than  the 
l^lack-whiskered  lumberman  who  had  come  into  old  Joe's 
saloon  on  the  day  when  Frank  made  the  fatal  admission 
which  now  threatened  to  send  him  to  the  gallows. 

The  keen-eyed  lawyer  for  the  defendant  looked  but  little 
like  the  former  lumberman.  His  black  beard  was  now  care- 
fully and  stylishly  trimmed,  and  he  wore  well-fitting  gar- 
ments that  showed  his  finely-knit  figure  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, and  his  fellow  lawyers  addressed  him  as  Mr.  Black- 
wood. 


142  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

His  black  eyes  fairly  shone  as  he  began  to  question  the 
old  man. 

"  Who  was  the  first  person  to  discover  your  daughter's 
body  after  the  accident  on  April  22,  1886?"  was  the  first 
question  he  put  to  Mr.  Manning. 

"  Frank  Vernon,  the  man  who  killed  her/'  came  the 
prompt  reply. 

"  Was  he  alone  when  he  discovered  the  body?  " 

"No." 

"Please  state  for  the  benefit  of  the  jury  who  was  with 
him  when  the  discovery  was  made,  also  whether  they  are  in 
this  court  room  at  the  present  time." 

"  Three  of  them  are  in  this  court  room." 

"Where  is  the  fourth?" 

"  He  was  killed  in  a  railroad  wreck  about  a  year  ago." 

"  That  is  all  for  the  present,"  said  Mr.  Blackwood. 

Turning  to  the  jury,  he  said,  in  his  most  impressive  man- 
ner, "Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  please  remember  that  the 
father  of  this  poor  unfortunate  girl  who  accidentally  fell 
into  the  Chippewa  Kiver  on  that  fatal  night,  has  most  posi- 
tively stated  that  it  was  the  accused  who  was  the  first  one  to 
find  his  daughter." 

The  man  got  down  from  the  stand  with  a  sigh  of  relief, 
and  the  mother  was  called. 

She  had  to  be  assisted  to  the  witness  stand,  and  related 
much  the  same  story  as  her  husband  had. 

She  told  how  she  had  gone  to  her  daughter's  room  the 
following  morning  to  call  her,  and,  receiving  no  answer, 
opened  the  bed-room  door  and  saw  that  the  bed  had  not 
been  slept  in  during  the  night.  Seeing  the  bed-room  win- 
dow wide  open,  she  had  gone  over  to  it  and  seen  the  foot- 
prints of  Marguerite  in  the  soft  earth. 

The  prosecution  then  asked  her  a  few  questions  and 
turned  her  over  to  the  defense. 

"  Madame,  how  do  you  know  that  those  footprints  were 
made  by  your  daughter?" 


THE   TRIAL.  143 

"  I  would  know  her  footprints  among  a  thousand.  When 
she  was  a  little  child  she  fell  out  of  a  wagon  and  injured 
her  leg  in  such  a  manner  that  her  left  foot  always  turned 
slightly  inward,  but  not  enough  to  be  observed  unless  one 
watched  her  very  carefully." 

The  old  lady  was  now  allowed  to  leave  the  stand.  She  was 
in  almost  a  fainting  condition,  and  the  Judge  advised  Mr. 
Manning  and  his  wife  to  go  home,  saying  that  he  would  send 
for  them  if  necessary. 

The  brother  of  the  dead  girl  was  the  next  to  be  called  to 
the  stand,  and  the  prosecutor  ended  his  questions  by  asking 
the  witness  if  he  too  had  seen  the  footsteps  on  the  soft  soil 
on  the  ground  underneath  the  window. 

"I  fail  to  see  what  bearing  her  footsteps  have  on  this 
case,"  said  Mr.  Blackwood  when  the  prosecutor  had  sat 
down." 

"You  seem  to  be  extremely  dull  this  morning,  Brother 
Blackwood,"  said  the  prosecutor. 

"  One  could  hardly  be  otherwise,  considering  the  company 
I  am  now  keeping." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  cast  insinuations  ? "  exclaimed  the 
prosecutor,  angrily. 

"  Gentlemen!  gentlemen!  Cease  this  wrangling  or  I  will 
fine  you  both,"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  impatiently,  and, 
knocking  on  the  desk  with  his  gavel. 

The  spectators  were  all  laughing  at  the  two  lawyers,  who 
were  constantly  wrangling  with  each  other,  and  the  Judge 
threatened  to  clear  the  court  room  unless  better  order  was 
kept. 

The  prosecutor  was  known  as  a  great  wit,,  but  he  had 
met  his  match  at  last,  and  the  crowd  enjoyed  his  discom- 
fiture immensely. 

Elph  was  the  next  witness  called  to  the  stand,  and  as  he 
raised  his  hand  and  swore  to  speak  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  he  muttered  to  himself, 


144  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.    VERNON. 

"I  reckon  I  won't  tell  the  Jedge  no  lies  to-day,  'cause  I 
ain't  going  to  tell  nofing  I  seen  dare  dat  night." 

"  What  is  your  full  name?  "  he  was  asked. 

"Elphram  Washington  Lincoln  Grant  Sherman  Vernon, 
sah,"  said  the  imp  innocently. 

"  Is  that  your  full  name?  " 

"  Yes,  sah." 

Laughter  in  the  court  room. 

"  Silence!  "  roared  the  Judge. 

"How  old  are  you?" 

"Sah?"  said  the  imp,  interrogatively. 

"  How  old  are  you?  " 

"I  'spect  I'se  somewhere  between  the  age  of  twenty  and 
forty,  sah." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  don't  know  how  old  you 
are?" 

"  Not  'zaetly,  sah.  You  see,  it  am  dis  way.  I  was  a  berry 
small  child  when  I  was  born,  and  my  memory  was  not  as 
good  den  as  it  am  now." 

"  The  fellow  is  either  a  complete  fool,  or  else  he  is  an 
exceedingly  smart  fellow,"  muttered  the  Judge  under  his 
breath.  Aloud  he  said,  "You  may  question  the  witness, 
Mr.  Prosecutor." 

The  prosecutor  now  arose  and  began  to  question  him.  A 
great  deal  depended  on  the  testimony  of  Elph,  and  he  re- 
solved to  proceed  very  carefully.  In  his  blandest  manner, 
he  said: 

"Mr.  Vernon,  you  were  born  in  this  State,  were  you 
not?" 

"  Yes,  sah.    In  dis  berry  town,  sah." 

"You  are,  then,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  are  you 
not?  » 

"  No,  sah,  I'se  a  colored  gentleman,  I  is." 

More  laughter  in  the  court  room. 

"You  are,  nevertheless,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
are  you  not  ?  " 


THE   TRIAL.  145 

'"  I  don't  know,  but  I  done  reckon  I  am,  dough." 

"Now,  Mr.  Vernon,  you  have  lived  a  long  time  in  Mt. 
Vernon,  I  believe  you  said?  " 

"  All  my  life,  sah." 

"You,  of  course,  then,  know  the  defendant  in  this  case, 
do  you  not?" 

Elph  was  getting  suspicious  now,  and  resolved  to  answer 
very  carefully. 

"  Do  you  mean  Marse  Frank  Vernon,  sah?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Vernon." 

"  I  does,  sah." 

"  Do  you  recall  one  night  in  1886,  April  22,  I  believe  the 
date  was?" 

"No,  sah." 

"Did  you  not  go  fishing  for  bullheads  down  by  the  dam 
on  that  particular  evening?  " 

"Don't  remember  nofing,"  muttered  the  imp. 

"  Try  again.    Think  hard,"  said  the  prosecutor. 

"  See  here,  Marse  Judge,  Jury  and  Prosecutor,  dis  here 
nigger  ain't  drunk  to-day,  and  I  done  know  what  I  am  say- 
ing. I  ain't  going  to  tell  one  d n  thing  I  see  or  didn't 

see  dat  air  night  or  any  other  night.  Youse  can  hang  me  or 
send  me  to  jail  if  you  want  to,  but  tain't  no  use  to  ask  me 
any  fudder  questions,  'cause  I  done  going  to  close  up  like  an 
oyster  shell. 

"When  I  corned  into  dis  court  room  dis  morning  and 
seed  my  missis'  pretty  pale  face,  I  says  to  myself,  Look  heah, 
you  good-foh-nofing  nigger,  you  ain't  going  to  say  nofing 
'bout  Marse  Frank,  'cause  it  will  break  de  poor  old  Missis' 
heart,  and  no  Jedge  or  jury  ain't  going  to  make  you, 
nedder." 

After  making  this  emphatic  speech,  Elph  closed  up  like 
a,  clam,  and  no  amount  of  coaxing,  threatening  or  reasoning 
could  induce  him  to  utter  another  word. 

After  wasting  nearly  an  hour  in  a  futile  attempt  to  make 
him  divulge  what  he  knew,  the  Judge  finally  gave  up  in 


146  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

despair,  and  ordered  him  to  be  locked  up  for  contempt  of 
court. 

As  the  faithful  black  fellow  was  led  away  to  jail,  there 
was  more  than  one  moist  eye  in  the  court  room. 

As  the  jailor  passed  Mrs.  Vernon  with  the  prisoner,  she 
arose  from  her  seat,  and,  grasping  his  hand,  she  murmured,, 
softly,  "God  bless  you,  Elph!" 

The  look  in  the  poor  fellow's  eyes  showed  that  he  felt 
more  than  repaid  for  any  punishment  the  law  might  inflict 
upon  him. 

Mr.  Blackwood  was  the  next  witness  to  take  the  stand. 

"Mr.  Blackwood,  what  is  your  business?"  asked  the 
prosecutor. 

"  I  am  a  lawyer,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Blackwood. 

"  Have  you  practiced  long  in  Michigan,  may  I  ask?  " 

"  You  may  ask  what  you  please." 

"Answer  my  question." 

"Not  unless  his  Honor  commands  me." 

"You  need  not  answer  the  question,"  said  the  Judge, 
"  The  question  has  no  bearing  on  the  case  whatever." 

"You  are  a  great  drunkard,  I  believe,"  said  the  prose- 
cutor. 

"  You  may  believe  what  you  please,"  answered  Mr.  Black- 
wood. 

"  Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  cease  this  useless  wrangling  or 
I  shall  be  obliged  to  fine  you  both,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  You  were  in  Joe  McCally's  saloon  on  the  day  the  ac- 
cused was  heard  to  boast  that  he  killed  Marguerite  Man- 
ning, were  you  not?  " 

"  I  was  in  Joe  McCally's  saloon  on  the  day  the  accused 
was  arrested,  but  don't  recall  hearing  him  confess  anything." 

"You  were  very  drunk  that  day,  were  you  not?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

Laughter  in  the  court  room. 

"Are  you  drunk  to-day?" 

"  No,  sir." 


THE   TRIAL.  147 

"  Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  cease  this  wrangling  or  I  shall 
fine  you  both,"  said  the  Judge,  pounding  on  his  desk  with 
his  gavel. 

"  You  say  that  you  were  in  Joe  McCally's  saloon  on  the 
day  the  accused  was  arrested?  "  said  the  prosecutor,  resum- 
ing his  questions. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Did  you  not  hear  the  accused  say  he  killed  Marguerite 
Manning  because  she  would  not  do  his  bidding?  " 

"  My  dear  fellow-lawyer,  you  must  recall  the  fact  that  I 
was  very  drunk  that  day;  in  fact,  I  was  in  such  a  beastly 
state  of  intoxication  that  I  don't  remember  a  thing  that  took 
place  after  I  entered  the  saloon." 

The  prosecutor  saw  that  he  had  been  beaten  at  his  own 
game,  and  growled  out,  "You  knew  enough  to  plan  a  way 
for  the  marshal  to  avoid  arresting  the  accused." 

"  If  I  did,  I  was  so  drunk  that  I  can't  recall  it,"  said  Mr. 
Blackwood. 

"  That  is  all  the  questions  I  wish  to  ask  you,"  snapped 
the  prosecutor. 

He  was  then  questioned  by  his  partner  in  behalf  of  the 
defense,  and  managed  by  shrewd  answers  to  throw  a  favora- 
ble light  upon  the  case. 

The  next  day,  Susanne  was  brought  into  the  court  room 
on  a  stretcher.  The  mark  of  death  was  upon  her  counte- 
nance, and  it  was  plainly  apparent  that  she  had  but  a  few 
more  weeks  in  which  to  live. 

She  was  sworn  and  asked  to  relate  what  took  place  be- 
tween Frank  Vernon  and  herself. 

She  told  of  her  hopeless  passion  for  James  and  of  their 
plot  to  make  James  a  villain  in  the  eyes  of  Violet,  and  how 
during  one  of  their  secret  meetings  he  had  been  slightly 
intoxicated  and  boasted  of  having  got  rid  of  the  other  one, 
meaning  Marguerite  Manning,  and  then  of  denying  it  after- 
wards. 

She  concluded  by  saying,  "I  have  got  but  a  few  more 


148  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VEENON. 

weeks  in  which  to  live,  and  it  is  the  statement  of  a  dying 
girl  that  Frank  Vernon  killed  Marguerite  Manning." 

Susanne  then  sank  back  in  an  almost  fainting  condition, 
and  the  attorneys,  out  of  sheer  pity,  allowed  her  to  be  taken 
from  the  room  without  cross-questioning  her,  as  nothing 
could  be  gained  by  either  side  by  detaining  her. 

Blackwood  thought  that  the  utmost  they  could  possibly 
do  would  be  to  secure  a  life  sentence,  and  he  and  his  fel- 
low-lawyers set  to  work  to  accomplish  this  end. 

The  evidence  was  all  in  at  last,  and  the  prosecutor  arose 
to  his  feet  and  addressed  the  jury  thus: 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  you  have  heard  all  the  evidence 
in  the  case;  heard  how  this  red-handed  murderer  met  this 
young  and  trusting  girl,  made  her  love  him  probably  by 
promises  of  marriage,  and  then,  seeing  a  fairer  face,  he 
resolved  to  get  rid  of  her  that  he  might  marry  the  woman 
who  is  now  his  wife.  Fancy,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  how  he, 
by  some  secret  signs  known  only  to  himself  and  the  girl, 
must  have  enticed  her  to  the  old  dam,  and  then,  believing 
himself  unseen,  seized  her  and  tried  to  throw  her  into  the 
cold,  dark  waters  below. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  the  accused  is  not  a  physically 
strong  man;  never  was,  and  that  struggle  must  have  lasted 
several  minutes.  Fancy  that  poor,  helpless  girl  struggling 
in  the  dark  for  her  life  and  being  forced  inch  by  inch  nearer 
and  nearer  that  fatal  spot;  of  her  last  mad  struggles,  her 
pitiful  pleadings  as  nearer  and  nearer  the  fiend  forced  her, 
until  she  was  tottering  on  the  very  brink  of  that  mad,  rush- 
ing, cold  water,  and  then  of  him,  with  a  last  supreme  effort 
free  himself  from  her  clinging  grasp,  and  then,  with  a  last 
desperate  effort,  thrust  her  over!  over!  into  that  boiling, 
seething  maelstrom ! " 

"  Good  God!  "  shrieked  Frank,  at  this  moment.  "  Don't! 
don't!  for  God's  sake,  don't." 

He  cowered  and  glared  at  the  prosecuting  attorney  like  a 
wild  beast. 


THE   TRIAL.  149 

"  See  the  murderer!  "  he  thundered.  "  I  have  described 
his  horrible  crime  just  as  it  actually  took  place.  See  him 
cower  and  glower  like  a  wild  beast  at  bay!  Gentlemen  of 
the  jury,  my  life  would  not  be  safe  for  an  instant  if  he  was 
free.  Even  now  his  hands  are  twitching  and  aching  for 
another  victim. 

"  Fancy  if  you  can  the  mad  fear  of  that  poor,  murdered 
girl's  mother  as  she  knocks  on  the  door  the  next  morning, 
and,  receiving  no  answer,  she  opens  the  door  and  goes 
within!  Let  us  follow  her  step  by  step  as  she  opens  the  door 
and  sees  the  bed  unoccupied,  and,  running  to  the  open  win- 
dow, sees  the  footprints  of  her  darling  child  leading  toward 
the  old  mill  dam,  and  then,  gentlemen,  fancy  if  you  can  how 
the  poor  old  father  must  have  felt  when  the  news  reached 
him. 

"  Only  the  night  before  he  had  kissed  her  good-night  and 
seen  her  enter  her  little  bed-room,  and  then  in  the  morning, 
he  walks  on  tiptoe  past  her  room  that  he  might  not 
awaken  her  when  he  went  to  work. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,"  he  thundered  forth,  "  all  the 
noise  this  side  of  Hades  could  not  have  awakened  her  then, 
for  she  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  Chippewa  Eiver!  dead!  dead! 
and  by  him  whose  hand  should  have  been  the  first  to  shield 
and  protect  her. 

"  If  he  did  not  commit  the  deed,  then  how  did  he  know 
just  where  to  find  her?  Why  did  not  some  of  the  other 
searchers  find  her?  You  ask  why  he  was  the  first  to  dis- 
cover the  dead  body  of  the  girl  whom  he  had  so  foully  mur- 
dered. I  answer  that  he  fancied  that  would  be  the  safest 
way  to  divert  suspicion  from  himself. 

"  If  we  could  have  forced  that  negro  to  have  spoken,  he 
would  have  told  this  learned  jury  word  for  word  the  crime 
I  have  just  described.  Does  not  the  prisoner's  very  atti- 
tude speak  plainer  than  words  his  damnable  guilt? 

"  Gentlemen,  look  at  him;  look  at  him  well,  as  he  sits 
there  writhing  in  agony  and  fear  as  his  crime  has  been  un- 


150  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

erringly  described,  and  can  you  doubt  for  an  instant  how 
poor,  pretty  Marguerite  Manning  came  to  her  death? 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  he  continued  in  a  lower  tone,  "I 
know  some  of  you,  perhaps  all  of  you,  are  fathers.  Is  it 
safe  to  let  such  a  man  as  this  go  at  large  among  young  and 
innocent  girls?  Look  at  his  record  for  the  past  few  years! 
What  is  it? 

"  Drunkenness  and  a  long  life  of  jail  sentences.  Should 
he  be  spared  for  his  wife's  sake?  Should  he  be  spared  for 
his  little  daughter's  sake? 

tf  I  answer,  No !    Ten  thousand  times  no  I 

"  The  only  peace  and  safety  that  his  wife  and  child  knew 
was  when  he  was  locked  up  behind  the  iron  bars.  I  say  he 
ought  to  be  hanged  and  it  is  the  duty  of  every  father  on 
this  jury  to  say  so. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  in  conclusion  I  will  say,  do  your  duty. 
If  you  find  the  accused  is  not  guilty  of  this  terrible  crime 
then  turn  him  loose  and  find  out  who  did. 

"  If,  on  the  other  hand,  you  find  him  guilty,  then  it  is 
your  duty  to  hang  him,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  this 
great  State." 

He  then  sat  down,  and  the  vast  throng  in  the  court  room, 
with  one  breath,  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 

The  prosecuting  attorney  had  fairly  carried  the  crowd 
along  with  him  by  his  eloquence  and  fervor. 

Attorney  Blackwood  for  the  defense  now  arose,  and,  in  a 
calm  voice  addressed  the  jury  as  follows: 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  know  that  you  are  twelve  good 
and  true  men.  You  have  been  chosen  from  among  a  score 
or  more  of  intelligent  men,  and  I  know  you  will  decide  this 
case  on  its  own  merits  according  to  the  evidence  introduced. 

"The  prosecutor  has  bulldozed,  threatened  and  called 
the  defendant  in  this  case  a  red-handed  murderer!  Think 
of  it,  gentlemen!  A  red-handed  murderer!  And  on  what 
grounds?  None  whatever.  Because  that  poor,  unfortunate 
young  girl  went  to  bed  sick  one  night  and  was  drowned  on 


THE  TRIAL.  151 

that  same  evening,  is  that  any  indication  that  my  client  is 
responsible  for  her  death?  I  say  no. 

"  The  poor  girl  was  evidently  very  ill,  probably  with 
brain  fever,  or  something  equally  as  bad,  and  was  out  of  her 
head.  She  went  to  her  room,  which,  being  very  hot  and 
close,  caused  her  to  throw  up  her  window  as  high  as  possi- 
ble in  order  to  get  the  fresh,  pure  evening  air.  She  probably 
sat  down  near  the  window  and,  tempted  by  the  beautiful 
night  and  pure  air,  she  leaped  lightly  out  of  the  window 
and  paced  up  and  down  for  a  while  outside.  Her  head  in 
all  probability  grew  worse,  and  she  wandered  farther  away 
from  the  house.  What  is  more  natural  than  that  she  should 
turn  her  unconscious  footsteps  toward  the  river?  She  wan- 
dered to  the  dam,  probably  attracted  there  by  the  noise,  or 
some  other  equally  simple  cause.  She  wandered  too  close 
and  accidentally  fell  into  the  rushing  waters. 

"The  roar  of  the  falling  waters  would  drown  her  feeble 
cries  for  help,  and  she  was  carried  swiftly  down  the  stream. 

"  Gentlemen,  the  most  of  you  have  been  residents  of  Mt. 
Vernon  a  long  time,  and  you  can  all  recall  accidents  of  this 
kind.  "Why,  only  last  summer  Ealph  Montgomery,  the 
young  son  of  one  of  our  foremost  merchants,  fell  into  the 
the  river  just  below  the  dam,  and  was  carried  even  farther 
down  the  river  than  Marguerite  Manning,  who  fell  into  the 
river  on  that  fatal  night  of  April  22, 1886. 

"  Gentlemen,  does  it  look  reasonable  that  Frank  Vernon, 
whom  the  learned  prosecutor  himself  has  said  was  a  physi- 
cally weak  man,  could  have  struggled  for  such  a  long  length 
of  time  with  a  strong  young  woman,  in  the  prime  of  life? 
Would  not  her  loud  cries  for  assistance  speedily  have 
brought  help? 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  thundered  forth,  warming  up  to  his 
subject,  "  such  an  intelligent  body  of  men  as  you  are  cannot 
help  but  see  the  utter  impossibility  and  folly  of  the  flimsy 
web  of  circumstantial  evidence  which  the  prosecution  has 
piled  up. 


152  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

"Did  not  Frank  Vernon  himself  organize  a  body  of 
searchers,  and  was  he  not  the  most  active  to  search  for  the 
missing  girl?  Was  it  not  his  own  hands  that  pulled  her 
from  the  river  and  restored  all  that  was  mortal  of  her  to  her 
bereaved  parents?  I  appeal  to  you  as  men  of  intelligence, 
of  reason  and  of  judgment  to  tell  me  whether  that  was 
the  act  of  a  guilty  man  or  not? 

"Would  a  guilty  man  have  taken  them  to  the  very  spot 
that  would  reveal  his  crime?  I  thunder  forth  to  heaven, 
No!  a  thousand  times  no! 

"  As  for  that  unfortunate  scene  in  the  bar-room  the  other 
day,  I  say  it  was  the  senseless  words  of  a  drunken  man  who 
knew  not  what  he  said. 

"Did  I  not  (I  am  told)  boast  that  I  killed  a  man?  I 
have  no  recollection  of  making  that  statement.  It  is  to  my 
shame  that  I  relate  my  actions  on  that  day,  but  if  I  made 
such  a  foolish  boast,  then  why  not  he?  If  he  should  be  tried 
for  his  life  because  of  uttering  those  thoughtless  drunken 
words,  then  I  am  equally  guilty,  and  should  also  be  tried  for 
my  life. 

"  The  poor,  ignorant  colored  man,  who  was  locked  up 
the  other  day,  refused  to  open  his  mouth — because  why? 
I  say  it  was  simply  because  he  was  bullied  and  frightened 
by  the  learned  prosecutor,  who  took  advantage  of  the  fact 
in  order  to  make  things  look  worse  for  the  accused.  He 
refused  to  open  his  mouth  because  he  did  not  want  to  wrong 
his  employers  further  by  his  ignorant  remarks,  such  as  he 
made  in  the  saloon  the  other  day. 

"  Let  us  look  backward  for  a  few  years,  for  instance,  1886. 
Did  not  Dr.  Vernon,  brother  of  the  accused  man  save  the 
life  of  this  poor  girl's  brother  at  the  immediate  risk  of  his 
own?  Let  us  look  back  at  that  scene,  which  is  still  fresh  in 
the  memory  of  many  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  this  city. 
We  find  ourselves  on  the  banks  of  this  self -same  river  which 
Marguerite  fell  into.  We  are  surrounded  by  thousands  of 


THE   TRIAL.  153 

people  who  have  come  to  witness  the  annual  spring  launch- 
ing of  the  logs.  As  we  sit  there  a  gun  is  fired,  which  is  a 
signal  to  open  the  great  gates  of  the  reservoir  and  let  the 
logs  shoot  through  them  on  their  way  to  Saginaw. 

"  Great  logs  are  seen  to  shoot  through  the  narrow  open- 
ing and  a  mighty  cheer  goes  up  from  the  great  multitude 
of  spectators  as  they  behold  the  monarchs  of  the  forest 
shoot  the  narrow  gates  with  the  speed  of  an  express  train. 

"  But  what  is  that  ?  A  little  child  springs  out  upon  the 
quivering  dam;  it  stands  on  the  very  edge  of  the  great  sluice 
gates  and  claps  its  hands  gleefully  as  the  great  logs  shoot 
through  beneath  his  very  feet. 

"  A  dozen  brawny  sons  of  the  woods  spring  out  upon  the 
dam  to  pull  the  child  back  to  safety.  The  foremost  almost 
reaches  him,  when  lo!  a  great  log  is  seen  to  rear  itself  on 
end  and  then  fall  with  crushing  force  upon  the  sluice  gates 
at  the  very  feet  of  the  child. 

"  The  force  of  the  log  causes  the  gates  to  almost  give  way, 
and  they  quiver,  causing  the  child  to  sway  this  way  and  then 
that  way,  and  finally,  losing  its  balance,  it  falls  headfore- 
most into  the  rushing  water.  A  great  cry  of  horror  goes  up 
from  the  vast  throng  of  watchers,  and  the  sister  of  the  child 
wildly  cries  for  some  one  to  save  him. 

"  The  brawny  woodsmen  falter  and  turn  back.  To  leap 
into  that  seething,  boiling  water  means  to  court  almost  cer- 
tain death.  The  sister  of  the  child  screams  again  for  some 
one  to  save  him,  and  would  have  rushed  into  the  water  her- 
self had  she  not  been  seized  and  held  back.  It  seems  that 
no  one  will  dare  to  take  the  fearful  chances,  but  just  then 
a  lithe  form  is  seen  to  spring  out  upon  the  dam,  throwing  off 
outer  garments  as  he  ran. 

"  Like  a  tiger  he  leaps  into  the  foaming  current  and  tries 
to  swim  towards  the  drowning  boy.  But  can  he  reach  him? 
It  is  now  a  matter  of  chance,  for  no  swimmer,  no  matter 
how  strong  he  might  be,  could  alter  his  course  a  particle. 


154  THE  MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

But  just  as  the  drowning  child  sinks  from  view  for  the  third 
time,  the  hand  of  the  daring  rescuer  comes  in  contact  with 
the  little  fellow's  head,  and  the  child  is  for  the  time  safe. 

"  But  with  all  of  his  great  strength  the  swimmer  is  unable 
to  make  the  least  headway  in  the  whirling  circle  of  water 
which  gradually  draws  himself  and  his  unconscious  burden 
nearer  and  nearer  a  whirling  vortex  of  water  that  plunges 
downward  like  a  funnel,  drawing  huge  logs  down  with  it. 
When  the  logs  reappear  they  are  a  great  distance  down  the 
stream,  and  no  human  being  could  ever  go  down  in  that 
whirlpool  and  come  out  alive.  Even  should  he  escape  the 
terrible  whirlpool,  he  has  but  one  chance  in  a  thousand  of 
escaping  being  crushed  to  death  between  the  logs  which 
strike  together  with  a  force  that  peels  the  bark  off  and 
sends  the  splinters  flying  off  into  his  face  in  showers. 

"  He  is  fast  growing  exhausted,  and  his  efforts  are  grow- 
ing weaker,  and  he  seems  to  nearly  sink  from  view.  Nearer 
and  nearer  he  is  drawn  toward  the  funnel-shap.ed  hole,  and 
just  as  he  is  about  to  be  drawn  under,  a  great  pine  log 
strikes  him  a  fearful  blow;  but  he  manages  to  clamber  up 
on  it  with  his  limp  and  unconscious  burden,  one  arm  hang- 
ing helplessly  by  his  side. 

"  The  huge  log  he  is  astride  of  is  the  same  one  which  so 
nearly  crushed  the  great  sluice  gates.  The  struggle  between 
the  whirlpool  and  the  giant  of  the  forest  is  tremendous. 
The  log  disappears  from  view  at  intervals,  but  only  for  an 
instant  at  a  time. 

"  Sometimes  it  spins  around  like  a  top  as  if  trying  to 
shake  off  its  human  burden,  but  lo!  just  as  the  great  log 
is  directly  over  the  vortex  for  the  hundredth  time  the  cur- 
rent changes  for  an  instant  and  the  log  is  thrown  with  great 
violence  clear  of  the  whirlpool,  and  is  shot  like  an  arrow 
down  stream.  The  crowd  looks  with  bated  breath.  Surely 
he  must  have  loosened  his  hold  that  time,  for  it  seems  that 
no  human  being  could  have  had  the  strength  and  endurance 
to  cling  to  that  shooting  monster  as  it  plows  through  a  sea 


THE   TRIAL.  155 

of  foam!  But  he  is  there  in  the  same  position,  and,  wonder 
of  wonders!  he  still  has  the  child. 

"But  the  danger  is  by  no  means  past  yet.  The  stream 
becomes  narrower  a  few  hundred  feet  below  the  dam,  and 
there  is  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river.  Here  is  where  the  great- 
est danger  lies.  The  logs  have  become  wedged  at  this  point 
and  formed  a  great  jam,  fully  forty  feet  in  height.  The 
high  banks  on  either  side  hem  the  water  in,  and  until  it 
makes  a  cataract  over  which  the  logs  shoot  with  great 
velocity. 

"  To  go  over  this  cataract  means  to  be  crushed  to  death, 
and,  making  a  desperate  effort,  he  gains  an  upright  position 
on  the  log,  holding  his  unconscious  burden  in  his  one  good 
arm.  His  only  chance  of  life  now  lies  in  his  being  able  to 
gain  the  shore  before  he  reaches  the  great  jam.  To  do  this 
he  must  make  his  way  by  leaping  from  one  log  to  another 
when  they  come  close  enough  together.  But  will  he  be 
able  to  accomplish  this  before  it  is  too  late? 

"  Less  than  six  hundred  feet  now  intervene  between  him- 
self and  certain  death,  and  the  logs  are  moving  with  the 
speed  of  an  express  train.  Closer  and  closer  the  logs  close 
together  as  the  stream  becomes  narrower,  and  in  a  short 
time  he  stands  upon  the  nearest  log,  which  is  within  six 
feet  of  the  shore. 

"  Gathering  himself  for  a  desperate  effort,  he  leaps,  but, 
hampered  by  the  child,  he  cannot  quite  reach  it,  and  falls 
back  into  the  rushing  waters.  But  another  log,  rushing 
-down  from  above,  is  soon  within  his  reach,  and  he  manages 
to  clamber  upon  it  and  make  his  way  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  shore,  when  the  jam  is  reached. 

u  He  has  made  an  excellent  fight  for  life,  but  it  now  seems 
that  all  his  efforts  have  been  made  in  vain.  The  log,  with 
its  precious  burden,  is  whirling  tantalizingly  near  the  shore, 
but  just  out  of  reach.  It  was  now  too  late  to  plunge  into  the 
Tvater  and  try  to  swim  the  few  remaining  feet,  as  he  would 
liave  been  swept  down  instantly  by  the  undertow  and  be 


156  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

ground  to  death.  Nearer  and  nearer  they  are  swept  toward 
the  fatal  precipice,  until  the  front  end  of  the  log  strikes  the 
jam  with  a  crash,  swings  sideways  across  the  narrow  open- 
ing in  the  center  of  the  jam,  and  in  an  instant  is  swept 
beneath  the  surface,  but  not  before  the  daring  rescuer  has 
leaped  upon  the  tossing  logs,  where  he  makes  his  way  from 
one  to  another,  now  falling  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  some- 
times crawling  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  but  slowly  and 
surely  making  his  way  to  shore  and  safety. 

"  Once  a  giant  log,  caught  like  a  wedge,  snaps  in  twain 
like  a  jackstraw,  the  splinters  striking  him  in  the  face  and 
knocking  him  down,  while  a  great  cry  of  horror  goes  up 
from  the  watchers.  But  he  is  up  again  in  an  instant,  the 
blood  flowing  down  his  face  and  into  his  eyes,  nearly  blind- 
ing him,  but  a  few  more  jumps  take  him  close  to  the 
shore,  and  a  dozen  willing  hands  are  stretched  forth 
to  render  assistance,  and  just  in  time.  Exhausted  na- 
ture would  stand  no  more,  and  he  sinks  fainting  into  the 
arms  of  a  brawny  woodman,  his  precious  burden  still  clasped 
in  his  one  strong  arm. 

"  They  are  tenderly  carried  under  the  shade  of  a  great 
oak  tree,  and  a  doctor  bends  over  them  and  soon  brings  the 
rescuer  to  consciousness,  but  it  is  many  hours  before  the 
little  one  is  brought  to  consciousness,  as  it  has  swallowed 
a  great  quantity  of  water. 

"  The  brave  rescuer  is  found  to  have  sustained  a  broken 
arm  and  many  cuts  and  bruises,  but  the  doctor  cheerfully 
announces  that  there  is  no  serious  danger  if  the  patient  has 
good  care  and  nursing. 

"  A  vehicle  is  quickly  procured,  and  rescuer  and  rescued 
are  quickly  taken  home. 

"Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  shall  I  tell  you  the  name  of 
that  brave  rescuer?  It  was  James  Vernon,  Mt.  Vernon's 
most  skillful  and  benevolent  doctor.  And  who  was  the  res- 
cued? It  was  the  little  brother  of  Marguerite  Manning,  and 


THE   TRIAL.  157 

the  sister  who  made  that  pitiful  cry  for  some  one  to  save  her 
little  brother  was  she. 

"  Was  there  one  single  man  among  that  vast  throng  who 
was  brave  enough  to  risk  his  life  in  that  terrible  maelstrom? 
Yes,  there  was  one,  just  one  man  among  that  crowd  of  thou- 
sands who  dared  take  the  fearful  chances,  and  that  is  the 
brother  of  the  accused. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  appeal  to  you  as  men  of  rea- 
son, as  men  of  justice  and  intelligence,  could  the  brother 
of  such  a  noble  man  have  deliberately  taken  the  life  of  that 
poor  girl?  I  cry  to  heaven  that  it  is  impossible  that  he 
could  have  committed  such  a  dastardly  crime  as  the  learned 
prosecutor  has  just  described.  This  same  boy  has  been 
educated,  and  is  even  now  a  student  of  the  University  of 
Ann  Arbor  at  the  joint  expense  of  the  two  brothers. 

"  Now,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  have  laid  before  you  the 
full  facts  of  this  case,  and  I  know  that  you  will  decide  it  on 
its  merits  alone.  If  you  find  the  prisoner  guilty  of  this  hor- 
rible crime,  then  it  is  your  duty  to  convict  him;  but  if,  on 
the  other  hand,  you  find  him  innocent,  as  I  fully  believe  you 
will,  then  it  is  your  duty  to  order  his  release  and  find  the 
person  who  did  commit  this  terrible  crime,  if  a  crime  has 
been  committed.  But  it  is  my  firm  belief  that  there  has 
been  no  crime  committed,  for  I  believe  that  poor,  unfor- 
tunate girl  wandered  to  the  dam  that  night  and  accidentally 
fell  into  the  water." 

He  then  sat  down  amid  a  silence  that  was  painful.  The 
picture  he  had  drawn  was  so  realistic,  so  true  to  life  that  the 
spectators  in  the  court  room  had  been  held  spellbound  by 
his  wonderful  eloquence  and  masterful  delivery. 

There  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  court  room.  The  Judge 
pulled  out  his  handkerchief  in  a  pretense  of  wiping  his  nose, 
but  in  reality  to  wipe  away  the  tears  from  his  eyes. 

He  asked  the  accused  man  if  he  had  anything  to  say  in  his 
own  behalf,  but  he  said  No,  and  the  Judge  then  instructed 


158  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

the  jury,  and  they  filed  out  of  the  court  room  and  remained 
out  for  twenty-six  hours.  They  then  returned  to  the  court 
room,  and  the  prisoner  was  again  brought  back. 

"  Have  you  reached  a  decision  yet?  "  asked  the  Judge. 

"  We  have/'  replied  the  foreman. 

"What  is  your  verdict,  gentlemen?" 

"We  could  not  agree.  Part  held  out  for  partial  con- 
viction and  some  for  acquittal." 

The  Judge,  who  was  an  old  jurist,  shook  his  head  and  said 
it  was  against  the  very  evidence  shown  in  the  case,  and  was 
caused  by  the  marvellous  eloquence  of  the  lawyer  for  the 
defendant. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Blackwood  got  gloriously  drunk,  and 
was  locked  up  on  a  charge  of  disturbing  the  peace. 

Alas!  what  a  sad  ending  of  one  of  the  greatest  pleas 
that  had  ever  been  made  in  a  court  room.  People  said  it  was 
a  shame  that  such  a  man  would  recklessly  throw  away  the 
chances  of  a  great  career. 

A  new  trial  was,  of  course,  ordered,  but  the  liquor-loving 
silver-tongued  Blackwood  was  not  present  at  the  second 
trial.  He  had  served  his  jail  sentence  and  then  disappeared 
like  a  shadow,  no  one  knew  where. 

The  trial  was  before  a  different  Judge  this  time,  and  the 
clever  prosecutor  did  not  have  so  much  opposition,  and  the 
verdict  was  "  Guilty  of  murder  in  the  first  degree." 

As  he  had  already  had  one  trial,  the  laws  of  the  State 
forbade  that  the  extreme  penalty  be  carried  out.  He  was 
sentenced  to  serve  at  hard  labor  in  the  Jackson  prison  for 
the  rest  of  his  natural  life. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

(Emttomttrti  ia  fhrteim  tor 

The  day  before  Frank  Vernon  was  taken  to  the  great  prison, 
at  Jackson  the  sheriff  gave  all  his  relatives  and  friends  a  last 
chance  to  see  and  converse  with  him. 

But,  alas!  there  was  not  one  friend  who  cared  to  see  him, 
although  all  of  his  relatives  came  to  say  a  last  sad  farewell 
to  the  wretched  man  who  was  once  Mt.  Vernon's  most  prom- 
ising business  man  and  promoter. 

His  relatives  came  in  a  body.  He  was  now  really  sober, 
although  suffering  the  torments  of  the  damned  from  his  wild 
craving  for  liquor. 

Dr.  Vernon  did  everything  in  his  power  to  alleviate  his 
sufferings  by  the  use  of  powerful  opiates. 

He  greeted  all  of  his  relatives  with  his  old-time  courtesy, 
for  he  was  a  gentleman  when  in  his  proper  senses.  He  was 
perfectly  resigned  to  his  fate,  and  talked  to  them  quite  calmly 
concerning  his  future  life.  They  promised  to  write  to  him  aa 
often  as  the  prison  rules  permitted. 

The  last  farewell  was  taken  of  each  member  of  the  family 
until  he  came  to  little  Grade.  She  did  not  understand  all 
this  ceremony  and  asked  her  Uncle  Dim  why  he  didn't  pay 
her  papa's  fine,  like  he  used  to,  so  he  could  get  out  of  the 
horrid  jail. 

"  My  little  daughter,  he  cannot  do  so  this  time/'  said  Frank, 
sinking  into  a  chair  and  taking  the  little  one  on  his  lap. 
"  I  am  going  on  a  long,  long  journey  to-morrow,  and  it  will 
be  a  long  time  before  I  return,  and  while  I  am  gone  you  must 
be  very,  very  good  to  mamma.  She  and  you  will  go  and  live 
with  grandma  and  Uncle  Dim  in  the  big  house  at  Green- 
wold."  (James  had  bought  back  the  home.) 

"  If  you  are  going  to  be  gone  ever  so  long  then  I  will  write 
you  nice  long  letters,  and  you  can  read  them ;  but  if  you  are 

159 


160  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

going  so  awful  far  away,  why  don't  you  take  mamma  and  I 
along  with  you  ?  " 

A  spasm  of  pain  contracted  the  features  of  the  condemned 
man  as  he  said,  "It  is  so  awful  far  that  you  and  mamma 
couldn't  possibly  go." 

"But  what  makes  you  go  then?  Don't  you  love  mamma 
and  I  any  more  ?  " 

"  God  knows  that  I  do,  now  that  it  is  too  late." 

"  But,  papa,  it  is  not  too  late,  because  you  have  not  started 
yet,  and  Uncle  Dim  will  pay  your  fine,  won't  you,  Uncle 
Dim  ?  "  she  said,  coaxingly. 

She  had  heard  the  words,  "paying  a  fine,"  so  often  that 
she  had  an  idea  that  all  that  was  required  was  to  give  the 
bad  man  who  locked  her  papa  up  some  money  and  then  he 
would  be  released  at  once. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "  I  would  pay  his  fine  gladly 
if  I  could,  but  he  must  go  on  a  long  journey  and  I  can  do 
nothing — nothing ! " 

The  time  was  fast  approaching  for  them  to  take  their  de- 
parture, and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief  that  all  saw  the 
hands  of  the  clock  in  the  jail  point  to  the  even  hour,  which 
indicated  that  it  was  time  they  must  go.  Each  moment  only 
made  the  parting  more  grievous  and  embarrassing  to  all. 

As  the  mother  looked  into  her  son's  eyes  for  the  last  time 
she  expected  to  see  him  without  a  felon's  stripes  on,  she 
handed  him  a  small  Bible  and  said : 

"  My  son,  try  to  alter  your  life  from  this  day  forth,  and 
when  behind  those  cold,  gray  prison  walls  try  to  teach  those 
poor,  misguided  inmates  the  words  and  love  of  Him  who  was 
crucified  that  man  might  be  cleansed  from  all  sin.  Let  the 
little  Bible  I  just  gave  you  be  your  comforter  and  guide." 

"Mother,"  he  said,  "I  cannot  believe  or  do  as  you  wish. 
I  cannot  believe  the  words  of  this  little  book,  but  I  will  take 
it  and  cherish  it  ever  because  it  is  a  present  from  my  mother, 
the  mother  whom  I  have  ever  been  a  source  of  trouble  and 
disgrace  to." 


CONDEMNED  TO   PRISON   FOR   LIFE.  161 

"Not  so,  iny  son,"  she  said,  bursting  into  tears  at  last; 
"  whatever  your  faults  have  been  you  have  ever  been  a  kind 
son  to  me." 

She  had  borne  up  bravely  until  it  came  to  the  actual  part- 
ing. Her  mother's  heart  was  full  to  overflowing,  and  she 
could  stand  no  more,  and  she  fainted  and  was  caught  in 
Frank's  arms. 

"  Here,  brother,  take  care  of  her,"  he  said,  kissing  her  pale, 
•cold  lips. 

"  Good-bye,  Violet,"  he  said,  sorrowfully,  kissing  her  on 
the  brow. 

"  Lock  me  up,  jailer,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  turnkey. 
4(  Mother  must  not  come  to  her  senses  again  in  this  place." 

As  the  jailer  and  Frank  reached  the  great  iron  door  that 
led  to  the  cells,  he  turned  backward  for  a  moment  and  called 
out: 

"  Good-bye,  all ;  the  next  time  you  see  me  it  won't  be  in 
prisoner's  stripes,  for  I  swear  that  no  prison  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  will  ever  hold  me.  I  will  make  my  escape,  and  when  I 
do  no  living  man  will  ever  take  me  alive." 

After  taking  this  oath  he  waved  his  hand  at  them  and  dis- 
appeared through  the  great  iron  door,  and  as  they  carried 
his  unconscious  mother  out  in  the  warm  sunshine  they  heard 
the  great  iron  door  of  the  county  jail  close  with  a  clang  upon 
the  man  who  had  just  sworn  that  no  bolts  or  iron  bars  were 
strong  enough  to  hold  him. 

"  I  believe  he  will  keep  his  oath,"  said  Dr.  Yernon.  "  When 
we  were  boys  I  can  remember  how  he  used  to  construct  imagi- 
nary jails  and  place  prisoners  within  them  and  then  devise 
ways  for  them  to  make  their  escape.  Even  in  late  years  I  have 
heard  him  boast  quite  frequently  that  no  prison  could  ever 
hold  him  very  long." 

"  I  am  afraid  he  will  find  out  his  mistake,"  said  Dr.  Ellis, 
"  I  have  never  heard  of  a  prisoner  escaping  from  the  great 
Jackson  prison." 

In  the  meantime  both  doctors  had  been  busily  applying 


162  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

restoratives  to  bring  Mrs.  Vernon  to  consciousness,  and  at  this, 
moment  she  opened  her  eyes  with  a  sigh,  and  the  conversation 
was  dropped  for  the  time  being. 

Mrs.  Vernon,  Mary,  Violet  and  little  Gracie  were  assisted 
into  the  carriage  and  driven  to  Dr.  Vernon's  home. 

Dr.  Vernon,  Dr.  Ellis  and  Mary  then  walked  to  the  two 
physicians'  office. 

A  consultation  was  held,  and  it  was  definitely  decided  that 
Violet  and  her  little  daughter  would  in  the  future  make  their 
home  with  Dr.  Vernon. 

Mrs.  Vernon  was  growing  quite  feeble,  and  Dr.  Vernon  felt 
that  she  needed  the  companionship  of  some  one  who  could  be 
at  home  more  than  he  was,  and  besides  the  prattling  of  the 
child  would  serve  to  divert  her  mind  somewhat  and  prevent 
her  in  a  measure  from  brooding  over  her  wayward  son,  whom 
fate  had  decreed  she  would  never  in  life  gaze  upon  again. 

When  next  she  was  to  see  him  it  would  be  in  death,  but 
that  same  mysterious  fate  which  guides  all  our  lives  mercifully 
drew  a  curtain  over  the  future  and  left  her  the  small  consola- 
tion of  thinking  that  she  could  at  least  see  him  at  long  inter- 
vals, even  though  he  wore  a  felon's  garb. 

She  received  letters  from  him  quite  often,  and  in  them  he- 
only  pictured  the  brighter  side  of  prison  life,  so  that  in  time 
she  felt  that  he  was  better  off  after  all  where  the  old  enemy — 
liquor — could  not  reach  him. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Htfrr 


Let  us  follow  the  course  of  Frank's  life  as  on  the  following 
day  he  is  led  forth  from  the  county  jail  to  the  one-thirty 
train,  which  is  to  hear  him  to  the  living  tomb  to  which  he 
has  been  condemned  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  natural  life. 

He  is  handcuffed  tightly  to  a  couple  of  powerfully-built 
deputy  sheriffs,  who  walk  on  either  side  of  him.  The  county 
sheriff  brings  up  the  rear,  and  they  arrive  just  in  time. 

The  train  swiftly  speeds  on  its  way.  They  change  cars  at 
Ann  Arbor,  and  board  a  Michigan  Central  train.  A  short 
ride  on  this  road,  and  they  arrive  at  the  Union  Depot,  in  the 
city  of  Jackson.  The  officers  and  their  prisoner  take  a  cab 
and  are  rapidly  driven  to  the  great  prison,  whose  high  walls 
loom  up  dark  and  forbidding.  At  the  prison  the  officers 
turn  their  prisoner  over  to  the  prison  officials  and  make 
preparations  to  return  to  Mt.  Vernon. 

Their  prisoner  has  been  a  model  of  good  behavior,  and 
when  they  leave  they  shake  hands  cordially  with  the  con- 
demned man.  They  promise  to  tell  his  mother  that  he  is 
quite  comfortable  and  does  not  find  prison  life  so  disagree- 
able as  he  expected.  This  is  a  fib,  of  course,  but  for  once 
in  his  life  he  feels  that  he  is  breaking  the  commandments 
in  a  good  cause. 

He  is  given  a  bath;  his  hair,  moustache  and  whiskers  are 
closely  shaven  off,  and  a  striped  pair  of  trousers,  shirt  and 
jacket  to  match,  are  given  him  in  exchange  for  his  citizens' 
clothes,  and  he  is  then  led  away  to  his  cell. 

His  number  is  444.  This  will  be  the  name  he  will  hence- 
forth bear.  Frank  Vernon  ceased  to  exist  when  he  passed 
through  the  great  gates  of  Michigan's  principal  prison. 

444  is  closely  watched  the  first  few  months  of  his  impris- 

163 


164  THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.   VERNON. 

omnent.  The  sheriff  of  Mt.  Vernon  had  informed  the  war- 
den of  the  prison  of  Frank's  oath  to  escape;  but  as  time 
passed  on,  444,  who  was  a  model  prisoner,  was  less  closely 
watched,  and  finally  no  more  attention  was  paid  to  him  than 
to  the  other  long-term  prisoners. 

He  was  put  in  the  tailoring  department  at  the  beginning 
of  his  incarceration,  but  showed  so  much  intelligence  and 
skill  when  assigned  to  the  duty  of  occasionally  packing  the 
ready-made  garments  into  the  boxes  that  he  was  finally 
given  charge  of  that  department  under  the  close  watch  of  a 
guard.  The  clothing  was  sold  to  various  clothing  dealers 
to  help  maintain  the  expenses  of  the  prison. 

His  splendid  education  and  knowledge  of  bookkeeping 
was  of  the  greatest  aid  to  several  of  the  prison  officials, 
who  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  shift  some  of  their 
troublesome  accounts  on  the  shoulders  of  444. 

In  time  he  became  a  general  favorite,  and  the  more  ardu- 
ous duties  of  the  prison  were  never  performed  by  him. 

He  was  working  with  one  great  object  in  life,  "Escape." 

Escape  meant  life,  real  life,  liberty  and  the  pure  light  and 
air  of  the  outer  world,  a  world  that  was  set  apart  from  him. 

The  old  craving  for  liquor  was  gone  now.  It  had  worn 
away  with  time,  and  he  was  himself  again,  cold  and  calcu- 
lating. He  weighed  every  chance  and  resolved  to  take  no 
chances  until  he  was  reasonably  sure  of  success. 

Several  times  wild,  impossible  schemes  of  fellow-prison- 
ers were  proposed  to  him  by  means  of  taps  on  the  walls. 
This  was  the  favorite  way  of  conversing  among  the  prison- 
ers. They  were  not  allowed  to  speak  to  one  another,  but  at 
times  they  managed  to  whisper  a  word  or  so  without  being 
detected.  But  these  occasions  were  rare,  as  a  guard  was 
ever  near  with  a  gun  over  his  shoulder,  and  the  gun  was 
carried  for  use,  not  for  a  show. 

A  year  and  a  half  passed  away.  444  frequently  got  letters 
from  home.  But  none  of  them  had  ever  as  yet  visited  him, 
although  every  letter  contained  a  promise  to  do  so.  The 


ESCAPE    OF   THE    LIFER.  165 

fact  was,  none  of  them  could  muster  up  courage  enough  to 
go  and  see  the  poor  wretch  in  his  prison  stripes. 

Prison  life  was  becoming  unendurable  for  a  wild,  passion- 
ate nature  like  444,  and  to  be  confined  in  his  narrow  prison 
quarters  was  worse  than  death  to  him.  A  thousand  different 
schemes  and  plans  would  suggest  themselves  to  his  mind, 
only  to  be  cast  aside  as  worse  than  useless,  for  to  try  and 
then  fail  meant  to  lose  all  chances  for  another  attempt,  for 
he  would  be  placed  in  close  confinement  and  a  double  watch 
placed  over  him. 

The  prison  had  been  turning  out  a  great  deal  of  ready- 
made  clothing  of  late,  and  he  was  given  full  charge  of  pack- 
ing the  boxes. 

Old  Mike  Sullivan,  a  lifer,  more  commonly  known  as  162, 
was  his  assistant.  Old  Mike  had  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  444, 
and,  as  Old  Mike,  or  162,  was  nailing  the  last  boards  on  to  a 
box,  a  wild,  daring  scheme  entered  his  mind. 

Why  not  substitute  himself  in  place  of  the  clothing? 
The  scheme  was  certainly  hazardous,  and  the  chances  were 
about  even  that  he  would  be  discovered  before  the  boxes 
left  the  prison. 

The  boxes  were  nailed  up  in  the  packing-room  and  then 
trucked  out  into  the  yard,  labelled  and  weighed,  then  loaded 
on  to  huge  trucks  and  hauled  to  the  depot. 

At  the  gates  the  boxes  were  given  a  most  rigid  inspection 
before  they  were  allowed  to  pass  through. 

Here  was  where  the  greatest  danger  would  lie,  and  should 
he  once  be  discovered  in  making  such  a  bold  attempt  to  escape 
all  hopes  for  the  future  would  be  gone.  The  chances  were  that 
he  would  be  locked  up  in  solitary  confinement. 

The  boxes  weighed  about  eight  hundred  pounds  when  ready 
for  shipping,  and  an  inspector  stood  by  while  444  gave  the 
directions  for  packing  each  one. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  would  be  to  conceal  himself 
in  the  box  without  the  inspector  seeing  him.  Should  the 
inspector  leave  but  an  instant  there  would  be  some  slight 
hope. 


166  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

He  must  have  help.  Even  after  this  was  done  some  one 
must  nail  him  in.  As  he  was  giving  162  some  final  instruc- 
tions as  to  nailing  up  a  box  he  leaned  over  and  whispered  his 
scheme  to  his  fellow  prisoner,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  lend 
his  aid  to  carry  out  the  project. 

"  That  I  will,"  said  162,  his  eyes  dancing  with  a  fierce  joy. 
"  If  you  can  get  into  the  box,  you  can  count  on  me  nailing 
you  up  in  it.  Begorry,  you  have  made  my  life  a  whole  lot 
easier  the  last  six  months,  while  I  have  been  helping  you,  and, 
besides,  I  loike  you,  my  lad,  I  loike  you.  My  life  is  about  at 
an  end  anyway.  I  cannot  live  much  longer,  and  I  wouldn't 
escape  if  I  could.  I  have  been  shut  up  in  this  living  hell  for 
thirty-seven  years,  and  I  swear  to  you  I  am  an  innocent  man, 
serving  time  for  another's  crime." 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  444,  "  and  if  I  escape  I  promise  to 
aid  you  if  I  can." 

"  Too  late,  too  late !  "  said  162.  "  The  course  of  my  life  is 
nearly  at  an  end.  I  have  no  friends  or  relatives  who  I  should 
care  to  go  to,  and  I  might  as  well  stay  here  what  short  time 
more  in  which  I  have  to  live." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  they  will  make  your  life  harder  if  you 
help  me  to  escape,"  said  444.  "What  a  pity  we  can't  both 
escape  together." 

Old  Mike  shook  his  head  and  said,  "  Impossible,  my  lad, 
impossible ! " 

The  guard  was  getting  suspicious  at  the  length  of  time  they 
took  to  nail  up  the  box,  and  now  walked  over  toward  them, 
which,  of  course,  put  a  stop  to  their  whispered  conversation. 

June  the  16th  was  the  day  set  to  carry  out  his  plan  of 
escape,  and  as  the  day  drew  near,  which  meant  so  much  to  him, 
he  could  hardly  contain  himself. 

As  the  great  prison  bell  rang  out  for  the  prisoners  to  retire 
on  the  night  previous  to  the  day  on  which  he  was  to  make  the 
attempt  he  flung  himself  down  on  his  narrow  cot,  his  head 
beating  and  throbbing  with  suspense  and  anxiety. 


ESCAPE    OF   THE    LIFER.  167 

Sleep  was  out  of  the  question,  and  he  turned  and  tossed  all 
night.  The  guard  once  or  twice  asked  him  if  he  was  ill,  but 
received  the  reply  each  time  that  he  was  only  restless.  444 
was  subject  to  these  attacks  of  restlessness  and  the  guard 
thought  nothing  of  it. 

He  was  up  at  the  first  call  to  rise,  and  filed  out  with  the 
long  row  of  prisoners  to  their  meager  breakfast,  and  then  to 
work. 

Fortune  favored  444  to-day.  There  was  an  unusual  amount 
of  boxes  to  be  shipped.  As  they  were  nailing  up  the  last  box 
that  was  to  be  shipped  that  day  the  inspector  discovered  that 
he  had  left  some  of  his  bills  in  the  office  and  went  after  them. 

For  some  reason  he  was  gone  an  unusually  long  time,  and 
162  hoarsely  whispered,  "  Now,  lad,  now  is  your  chance.  Get 
in  and  leave  the  rest  to  old  Mike." 

"  I  hate  to  get  you  into  this,"  said  444,  who  had  taken  a 
great  liking  to  the  old  Irishman. 

"  Tut,  tut,  lad,  in  with  you.  My  life  is  just  about  spent. 
Begorry,  they  can't  make  my  life  much  harder  than  it 
now  is,  and  it  will  make  me  happy  to  think  that  in  a  measure 
I  have  helped  to  release  one  poor  devil  from  this  living  tomb." 

444  took  the  old  man's  hand,  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  saying, 
"  God  bless  you,  Mike.  Without  your  help  I  never  could  have 
attempted  this  escape." 

"  You  are  not  out  of  the  woods  yet,  my  lad,  and  you  had 
better  make  haste  to  climb  into  the  box.  I  will  do  the  rest." 

444  clambered  in  and  162  nailed  up  the  box,  and  was  busily 
engaged  in  packing  clothing  into  another  one  when  the  inspec- 
tor returned. 

162  glibly  explained  that  444  had  been  summoned  to 
another  part  of  the  prison  to  look  over  some  bills  and  accounts 
that  had  been  tangled  up.  The  guard  thought  little  of  this,  as 
444  was  an  expert  bookkeeper  and  was  often  called  upon  to 
perform  these  duties. 

The  boxes  were  stamped  and  labeled  for  their  various  desti- 


168  THE   MERCHANT  OF  MT.   VERNON. 

nations,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  loaded  on  the  trucks 
and  hauled  towards  the  great  gates  of  the  prison.  Here  was 
where  the  supreme  test  would  be. 

He  was  nearly  smothered  in  his  narrow  prison,  but  liberty 
meant  so  much  that  rather  than  betray  himself  now  he  would 
have  kept  quiet  even  if  he  had  suffocated. 

The  boxes  were  looked  over  carefully,  and  some  were  even 
opened  again.  The  box  he  was  confined  in  was  turned  over  in 
such  a  manner  that  he  was  left  standing  on  his  head,  but  he 
dare  not  even  so  much  as  move  a  muscle  for  fear  of  making  a 
slight  noise. 

At  last  the  guards,  satisfied  that  everything  was  all  right, 
allowed  the  driver  to  go  on  his  way,  and  they  were  soon  at  the 
Michigan  Central  freight  depot. 

Here  the  boxes  were  unceremoniously  dumped  on  the  floor, 
and,  fortunately,  the  freight  handlers  immediately  weighed 
them  and  loaded  them  into  a  freight  car  which  was  nearly 
loaded.  The  boxes  completed  the  load,  and  the  freight  han- 
dlers closed  the  door. 

By  this  time  the  escaping  convict  was  nearly  dead  and 
immediately  began  knocking  off  some  of  the  boards  on  the 
box.  This  had  to  be  done  by  kicking  them  off  with  his  feet. 
The  noise  of  the  rolling  trucks  completely  drowned  the  noise 
he  made  in  kicking  the  boards  loose.  He  dared  not  take  a 
hammer  in  the  box  with  him,  for  fear  that  it  might  be  missed, 
and  if  this  happened  it  would  immediately  lead  to  a  search 
of  the  entire  prison. 

To  kick  the  boards  off  was  no  easy  matter  and  took  him 
fully  twenty  minutes  to  accomplish  it. 

As  the  last  board  was  kicked  loose  a  switch  engine  came 
snorting  down  the  track  and  coupled  on  to  the  string  of  cars 
adjoining  the  freight  depot.  In  a  short  time  he  was  hauled 
far  down  the  freight  yards,  and  running  to  the  door  of  the 
car  he  threw  it  open  and  observed  a  long  string  of  freight 
cars  immediately  opposite  to  him,  with  a  huge  engine  at  the 
end  of  them.  At  this  moment  the  engine  gave  four  long 


ESCAPE   OF  THE   LIFER.  169 

blasts  of  the  whistle,  which  indicated  that  the  train  was  about 
to  pull  out. 

As  the  train  opposite  began  moving  he  peered  cautiously 
out  again  and  saw  a  car  a  short  distance  away  with  its  door 
wide  open.  As  it  came  opposite  him  he  made  a  flying  leap 
and  landed  in  the  car  attached  to  the  train  which  was  pulling 
out  of  the  station.  Peering  cautiously  out  once  more  he 
looked  back  toward  the  caboose  and  there  saw  two  prison 
guards  running  wildly  down  the  track  toward  the  car  which 
he  had  just  got  out  of. 

"  Whew,"  he  muttered,  "  that  was  a  close  call  for  No.  444, 
but  a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile  in  this  case." 

In  a  short  time  the  train  passed  the  last  side  track  and 
immediately  began  moving  with  greater  speed. 

"  Safe !  safe ! "  he  cried,  gleefully  dancing  about,  and  run- 
ning again  to  the  door  he  looked  out  upon  the  green  fields  and 
meadows  of  Southern  Michigan,  through  which  he  was  swiftly 
passing. 

He  drew  in  great  draughts  of  the  fresh,  pure  country  air, 
and  after  riding  several  miles  the  train  began  climbing  a  steep 
grade  and  the  speed  slackened  so  that  he  was  able  to  jump  off. 
He  was  rolled  over  and  over  several  times,  but  the  ground  was 
soft  and  he  was  not  injured  in  the  least,  and  arose  to  his  feet 
and  hastily  concealed  himself  in  the  tall  weeds  beside  the  track 
and  lay  perfectly  still  until  the  train  thundered  down  the 
steep  grade  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill. 

Carefully  concealing  the  marks  of  his  contact  with  the 
earth,  he  made  his  way  swiftly  towards  some  woods  a  short 
distance  from  the  track. 

"  Free !  free !  absolutely  free  at  last !  "  he  exclaimed,  falling 
on  his  hands  and  knees  under  the  shade  of  a  great  elm  tree. 

He  tore  up  great  handfuls  of  the  fresh  green  grass  and 
tossed  them  about,  letting  them  fall  back  on  him  in  showers. 
He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  capered  about  like  a  young  colt. 

"Ah,  this  is  life,  this  is  liberty,  indeed.  I  never  knew 
until  this  minute  what  liberty  really  meant.  If  there  is  a 


170  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

God  I  thank  thee  for  this  moment  of  supreme  happiness. 
Now  for  a  long  tramp.  I  must  get  as  far  away  from  this 
railroad  as  possible,  and  I  must  do  it  in  the  shortest  possible 
space  of  time." 

Suiting  the  words  to  action,  he  immediately  started  through 
the  woods,  away  from  the  track.  He  walked  and  ran  by  turns, 
sometimes  laughing  and  talking  to  himself,  at  others  sing- 
ing and  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  unusual  exercise  soon  told  on  his  strength,  and  at  short 
intervals  he  was  obliged  to  throw  himself  down  on  the  green 
grass  at  full  length  and  rest  himself. 

"  Whew,"  he  would  exclaim  to  himself,  wiping  the  perspira- 
tion from  his  hot  brow,  "  prison  life  didn't  improve  my  walk- 
ing powers  in  the  least.  I  never  was  much  of  a  walker  any 
way." 

As  soon  as  he  had  rested  himself  a  short  time  he  would 
again  start  on,  the  fear  of  capture  haunting  him.  At  these 
times  he  would  break  into  a  run  and  glance  back  over  his 
shoulder  as  if  expecting  to  see  the  blue  uniforms  of  the  prison 
guards  pursuing  him.  At  these  times  he  would  fairly  fly 
along  over  the  ground,  sometimes  catching  his  feet  in  the 
tangled  underbrush  and  falling  headlong. 

On  and  on  he  sped.  Mile  after  mile  was  covered,  until  the 
sun  sank  from  view,  and  then,  and  not  until  then,  did  he  pause 
long  enough  to  take  a  rest  of  any  length  of  time. 

With  the  coming  of  darkness  his  fears  of  pursuit  lessened, 
and  he  sank  down  for  a  good  long  rest.  His  eyes  closed,  his 
head  sank  forward  on  his  heaving  chest,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
he  yawned,  stretched  himself,  and  then  lay  down  at  full  length 
on  the  ground  and  sank  into  a  deep,  dreamless  sleep  that 
lasted  until  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun  shone  full  upon  his 
upturned  face. 

He  awoke  with  a  start,  and  sat  up  and  stared  wonderingly 
about  him,  then  pinched  himself  to  see  whether  he  was 
awake  or  dreaming. 

"  This  must  be  some  sort  of  dream  of  escape,"  he  muttered; 


ESCAPE   OF   THE   LIFEB.  171 

*'  directly  I  shall  awake  and  hear  the  guard  ask,  <  What  is 
the  matter,  444,  are  you  restless  again  to-night?" 

Gradually  the  full  realization  of  the  truth  dawned  upon 
him,  and  he  arose  to  his  feet  sore  and  stiff  in  every  limb. 

He  was  scarcely  able  to  stand  at  first,  but  the  lameness  soon 
wore  away  and  he  continued  his  journey. 

"Confound  it,"  he  muttered,  "I  am  as  hungry  as  a  sea 
•cook.  I  could  eat  some  of  those  prison  beans  now  with  relish. 
Oh,  well,"  he  soliloquized,  "  I  can't  have  everything,  and  no 
•doubt  I  will  find  a  way  to  obtain  some  food  during  the  day, 
and,  by  Jove,  I  must  get  off  this  striped  suit  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. It  is  hardly  the  proper  thing  for  a  citizen  at  large  to 
wear,  and  no  doubt  would  cause  some  amusement  among  the 
people,"  and  he  laughed  grimly  to  himself  at  the  joke  he  had 
been  talking  to  himself  about. 

"  Lucky  thing  I  struck  this  big  stretch  of  woods,"  he 
thought,  "  and  if  I  am  not  mistaken  they  extend  as  far  as 
the  west  shore  of  Lake  Huron.  If  I  can  but  make  my  way  to 
the  lake  and  obtain  a  boat,  good-bye  to  Jackson  prison  and 
the  United  States.  I  will  cross  the  lake  in  some  kind  of  a 
boat,  and  once  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada  I  can  easily  escape 
to  the  Atlantic  coast  and  ship  to  some  foreign  port.  At  any 
rate,  I  will  never  be  taken  alive;  that  I  swear,  for  I  will  not 
benumb  my  senses  with  that  cursed  drink  again ! " 

At  noon  he  reached  an  old  cabin  in  the  woods,  evidently 
the  home  of  some  trapper  and  hunter. 

Cautiously  he  peered  at  the  cabin  from  behind  the  shelter 
of  a  friendly  tree.  There  was  no  stir,  and  he  gathered  up 
courage  enough  to  approach  and  look  into  the  windows.  The 
place  was  deserted.  The  owner  was  gone,  and  on  the  wall 
hung  two  or  three  modern  rifles,  and  in  the  corners  were  the 
skins  of  various  animals.  His  heart  beat  wildly,  and  he  caught 
his  breath  in  gasps.  Once  in  possession  of  one  of  those  rifles 
the  fear  of  starvation  was  gone,  and  more  important  still  the 
fear  of  capture. 

He  entered  the  hut  and  secured  one  of  the  rifles  and  plenty 


THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

of  ammunition.  The  first  thing,  then,  he  quickly  secured  a 
large  piece  of  venison  and  a  long  hunting  knife.  As  he  was 
about  to  hastily  make  his  exit  his  eyes  caught  sight  of  some 
rough,  but  strongly-made,  clothing.  "  Ah,  the  very  thing,"  he 
muttered,  and  quickly  exchanged  garments. 

Going  to  the  door  he  peered  out.  "All  clear  so  far/'  he 
said  to  himself.  "  Now  for  the  grub,"  and  he  picked  up  the 
venison  again,  and  secured  some  more  trifling  eatables,  shoul- 
dered the  rifle,  and  once  more  set  forth  in  high  spirits;  but 
he  forgot  one  thing  in  his  haste,  and  this  nearly  caused  his 
capture.  When  he  changed  clothes  he  left  the  tell-tale  striped 
garments  of  the  prison  behind.  The  hunter  returning  home 
in  the  evening  found  them,  and  noticing  the  absence  of  the 
articles  taken  by  the  fleeing  man  he  hastened  at  once  to  the 
nearest  town  and  notified  the  authorities,  who  immediately 
telegraphed  to  the  prison. 

A  posse  was  formed  and  they  started  out  in  pursuit. 

But  let  us  follow  444  as  he  plunges  into  the  woods  again 
on  leaving  the  cabin.  He  walked  about  five  miles  and  then,, 
hunger  getting  the  best  of  his  fears,  he  halted  and  built  a 
fire,  and  soon  the  appetizing  odor  of  cooking  venison  filled 
the  air.  He  ate  ravenously,  and  then  resumed  his  journey 
again,  refreshed  and  encouraged. 

He  tramped  all  the  afternoon,  and  just  at  dusk  he  made 
another  halt  and  prepared  to  make  another  meal  of  the 
venison.  Just  as  the  fire  got  fairly  started  the  barking  of 
a  dog  caused  him  to  spring  to  his  feet  and  hastily  grab  the 
rifle. 

"  They  have  discovered  the  direction  I  have  taken/'  he 
muttered  grimly.  "  Very  well;  so  be  it.  Now  it  is  a  fight  to 
the  death.  What  an  infernal  fool  I  was  to  leave  those  tell- 
tale striped  prison  clothes  behind  me!  If  I  had  only  burned 
them  up  the  hunter  would  have  thought  that  some  thieving 
redskin  had  robbed  him." 

The  barking  of  the  dog  warned  him  of  the  methods  his 
pursuers  were  using  to  track  him.  He  hastily  kicked  some 


ESCAPE    OF   THE   LIFER.  173 

dirt  over  the  burning  embers  of  wood,  and  then  plunged 
into  the  woods. 

The  dog  rapidly  overtook  him,  and  just  as  the  big  brute 
was  about  to  spring  upon  him,  he  threw  the  rifle  to  his 
shoulder  and  sent  a  bullet  through  the  animal's  heart. 

"Number  one,"  he  muttered,  and  again  plunged  madly 
onward.  He  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  another 
dog  came  leaping  toward  him. 

"Here  goes  for  number  two!"  he  muttered,  between  his 
set  teeth,  and,  raising  his  rifle,  he  took  quick  aim.  A  sharp 
report  followed,  and  the  dog  fell  dead,  its  great  red  tongue 
hanging  from  its  mouth.  At  this  instant  a  third  dog  made 
its  appearance  and  ran  quickly  up  to  its  dead  companion, 
whining  and  licking  its  face.  Instinct  told  the  brute  what 
had  taken  place,  and,  seeing  Frank,  he  sprang  toward  him 
with  a  deep  growl.  Again  the  trusty  rifle  was  raised  to  his 
shoulder,  and  again  the  deadly  contents  were  poured  forth. 
"Number  three!"  he  muttered.  "This  is  getting  rather 
exciting,  but  I  guess  I  have  finished  my  four-footed  enemies, 
and  now  I  will  start  on  again.  The  next  ones  will  not  be 
dogs,  and  therefore  all  the  more  dangerous;  but  they  will 
be  easier  to  hide  from.  Fools!"  he  muttered;  "what  can 
they  hope  to  accomplish  now?  Why  didn't  they  hold  the 
animals  in  leash  ?  " 

The  shouts  of  the  men  in  the  distance  warned  him  that 
he  must  make  haste,  and,  turning,  he  ran  through  the  dark- 
ness, and  soon  came  upon  a  railroad  track.  "  This  must  be 
the  Ann  Arbor  railroad,"  he  muttered,  "although  I  didn't 
have  any  idea  that  I  was  so  close  to  it." 

Looking  down  the  track  in  the  darkness,  he  saw  the 
bright  headlight  of  an  approaching  train.  He  was  on  the 
summit  of  a  high  hill,  and  instantly  into  his  mind  came 
the  recollection  of  how  the  other  train  had  slowed  up. 

"  My  only  chance,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  That  is  the 
night  express  from  Toledo,  and  it  carries  a  long  string  of 
sleepers.  It  is  the  heaviest  passenger  train  on  the  road,  and 


174  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

is  bound  to  slacken  speed  somewhat  in  climbing  this  grade. 
If  it  only  slackens  down  to  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  an  hour, 
I  stand  a  small  chance  of  making  a  flying  leap  on  the  blind 
baggage.  It  is  a  risky  thing  to  do,  but  I  might  as  well  get 
ground  to  pieces  under  the  wheels  as  to  get  shot  or  captured, 
for  those  men  are  getting  uncomfortably  close." 

He  hid  in  the  underbrush  close  to  the  track  and  soon  his 
pursuers  burst  into  view  and  climbed  up  on  the  track.  They 
looked  up  and  down  the  track  in  both  directions,  and  then 
plunged  into  the  woods  on  the  other  side.  There  were 
fully  a  dozen  of  them,  and  they  were  armed  to  the  teeth. 

"  Great  Scott !  That  was  a  close  call,"  muttered  the  convict 
when  they  had  disappeared  in  the  woods.  "  They  are  liable 
to  be  back  here  at  any  minute.  Lucky  thing  for  me  that  it 
is  so  dark  and  that  they  let  the  dogs  run  loose  instead  of 
holding  them  in  leash." 

He  hid  the  gun  under  the  leaves  and  prepared  to  catch  the 
train,  which  was  now  close  upon  him.  His  heart  beat  so  that 
he  was  nearly  suffocated.  "  If  I  miss  the  train,  I  am  lost," 
he  thought. 

Nearer  and  nearer  the  bright  headlight  approached.  The 
engine  passed  him,  and  he  sprang  toward  the  steps  of  the 
baggage  car.  "  Now  or  never,"  he  muttered  between  his  set 
teeth,  and  made  a  plunge  for  the  handles  of  the  steps.  He 
caught  hold  of  it  with  both  hands,  but  he  was  swung  around 
with  great  violence  and  struck  the  side  of  the  car,  knocking 
the  breath  out  of  him.  But  he  managed  to  climb  laboriously 
upon  the  platform,  and  sank  down  trembling  and  exhausted, 
safe  for  the  time  being,  every  minute  putting  nearly  a  mile 
between  himself  and  his  late  pursuers,  for  the  train  was 
now  thundering  down  the  steep  grade  at  a  terrific  speed. 
"Go  it!  go  it!"  he  muttered.  "You  can't  turn  them  any 
too  fast  for  me." 

On  and  on  thundered  the  night  express  through  the  dark- 
ness and  cold.  It  soon  began  to  rain,  and  its  unknown  and 


ESCAPE    OF   THE   LIFER.  175 

uninvited  passenger  crouched  down  in  the  shadow  of  the 
tender,  shivering  and  forlorn. 

Two  long  blasts  of  the  whistle  at  last  announce  that  the 
train  is  approaching  a  large  city  and  will  make  a  stop. 

"  This  won't  do  at  all,"  said  444  to  himself.  "  They  will 
take  water  here,  and  the  fireman  will  climb  on  top  of  the 
tender,  and  the  chances  are  ten  to  one  that  he  will  see  me. 
I  will  climb  up  on  top  of  the  baggage  car  and  lie  flat  down, 
and  no  one  will  see  me  in  the  darkness." 

It  was  no  easy  task  to  accomplish  this  feat.  The  rocking 
and  swaying  of  the  train  nearly  caused  him  to  lose  his  hold 
a  half  dozen  times  as  he  was  climbing  up  the  wet,  slippery 
end  of  the  car.  "Whew!  They  won't  need  any  officer  to 
catch  444  if  I  fall  off  from  here,"  he  panted,  clinging  des- 
perately to  the  end  of  the  swaying  car. 

At  last  he  was  up  on  top  of  the  baggage  car,  and  none  too 
soon,  for  the  swiftly-flying  train  had  nearly  reached  the  sta- 
tion, and  just  as  he  sank  down  on  the  roof  the  fireman  came 
up  on  the  tank  with  a  lantern,  ready  to  pull  the  water  spout 
down  from  the  water  tank  as  soon  as  the  engine  arrived 
opposite. 

Frank  raised  his  head  just  high  enough  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  flickering  electric  lights  of  the  city.  "  Owosso,"  he 
muttered,  "  and  this  is  the  through  train.  Mt.  Vernon  is 
sixty  miles  from  here,  and  this  train  won't  stop  again  until 
we  pull  into  the  Union  Depot  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

"  Is  it  fate?  To  think  that  this  train  should  come  along 
at  just  the  moment  when  I  was  about  to  be  captured  or 
killed  by  those  officers,  and  then  that  its  destination  should 
be  Mt.  Vernon,  of  all  places  on  the  face  of  the  earth!  I  feel 
a  strange  sort  of  foreboding  hanging  over  me.  I  am  not 
superstitious  in  the  least,  but  I  cannot  shake  off  the  feeling 
of  depression  that  weighs  upon  me." 

"  All  aboard ! "  shouted  the  conductor  at  this  moment, 
and  putting  a  stop  to  Frank's  thoughts.  The  bell  rang,  and 


176  THE   MERCHANT   OF  MT.   VERNON. 

then  the  great  wheels  of  the  locomotive  began  to  slowly 
revolve,  pulling  the  long  string  of  cars  in  its  wake.  Faster 
and  faster  it  went,  and  soon  they  were  flying  along  through 
the  darkness  past  woods,  streams  and  small  villages,  but 
never  pausing  or  slackening  speed  until  the  suburbs  of  Mt. 
Vernon  were  reached.  Here  he  raised  his  head  and  looked 
at  the  lights  of  the  sleeping  city. 

"A  year  and  a  half,"  he  muttered.  "A  year  and  a  half 
ago  I  was  chained  to  a  couple  of  deputy  sheriffs,  and  on  my 
way  to  that  living  tomb  at  Jackson.  To-night  I  am  being 
borne  back  to  the  same  place  which  was  the  scene  of  my 
birth,  innocent  childhood,  and  then  young  manhood,  and 
then  the  zenith  of  my  career  as  a  bank  cashier;  then  the 
steady  downward  path  that  made  me  a  murderer  and  fugi- 
tive from  justice. 

"What  a  strange  thing  life  is!  I  might  just  as  well  now 
be  the  owner  of  these  mills,  whose  lights  twinkle  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  the  father  of  a  happy  family.  But  I  am  not, 
and  why? 

"  It  is  all  summed  up  in  five  little  words — '  drink  and  an 
unrequited  love.'  y> 

He  was  looking  at  the  city,  whose  lights  were  being  rap- 
idly approached,  and  these  thoughts  were  running  swiftly 
through  his  mind.  At  this  moment  a  hot  cinder  struck 
him  fairly  in  the  eye.  "  Damnation! "  he  said,  furiously, 
frantically  rubbing  his  smarting  optic.  "I  might  have 
known  better  than  to  have  exposed  my  face  to  those  hot 
-cinders." 

He  was  kept  busy  trying  to  extract  the  cinder  from  his 
eye  all  the  time  the  train  stood  at  the  depot. 

The  iron  horse  had  now  reached  the  end  of  its  journey. 
It  was  now  nearly  time  for  daylight,  and  as  the  train  pulled 
up  the  track  and  then  backed  down  on  a  siding,  where  its 
sleeping  occupants  could  easily  reach  the  depot  when  they 
arose,  he  quickly  slid  down  on  the  tender  unobserved,  and 
made  his  way  to  the  river  and  crossed  the  old  mill  dam. 


ESCAPE    OF   THE    LIFER.  177 

"Ugh!"  he  muttered.  "I  can  feel  the  spirit  of  that 
dead  girl  upon  me  now.  I  believe  that  I  am  soon  going  to 
join  her." 

Quickening  his  steps,  he  made  his  way  to  the  same  clump 
of  bushes  and  trees  where  he  had  often  met  the  trusting 
girl  whose  life  he  had  ruined.  Throwing  himself  down 
under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  great  maple  tree,  he  fell 
into  a  slumber  of  exhaustion,  but  his  dreams  were  disturbed 
by  visions  of  pretty  Marguerite  Manning.  Her  hands  were 
outstretched,  wildly  grasping  at  his  arms  to  prevent  her- 
self from  being  hurled  into  the  water. 

He  awoke  with  a  start,  the  perspiration  oozing  from  his 
forehead.  The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens,  and  the  fam- 
iliar sounds  of  the  saws  as  they  ripped  through  the  great 
logs  were  borne  to  his  ears.  His  throat  was  parched  and 
dry,  and  he  seemed  to  be  burning  up. 

"  I  must  have  a  drink  of  water,"  he  muttered,  trying  to 
struggle  to  his  feet;  but  his  limbs  refused  to  support  his 
body,  and  he  fell  back  helpless,  every  bone  in  his  body  ach- 
ing, and  his  head  throbbing  and  beating. 

"  Good  God ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  am  going  to  be  desper- 
ately ill,  and  I  feel  as  if  I  were  going  mad,  mad!  They  will 
capture  me  and  drag  me  back  to  that  living  hell  again.  I 
must  escape!  I  will  escape!"  and  he  made  another  desper- 
ate effort  to  raise  himself,  but  fell  back  senseless  and  help- 
less. 

His  escape  from  prison,  the  pursuit,  unusual  exertion  and 
exposure  had  been  too  much  for  his  system,  which  was  neces- 
sarily weakened  by  his  long  imprisonment.  The  reaction 
had  now  set  in,  and  he  lay  writhing  in  the  remorseless  grip 
of  brain  fever,  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  place  where  he 
had  sent  poor,  pretty,  trusting  Marguerite  Manning  to  her 
death. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

iUtrtlmtum 

As  the  hours  passed  the  grip  of  the  terrible  fever  took  a 
firmer  hold  upon  him.  His  senses  returned  for  a  short  time,, 
and  he  realized  fully  the  terrible  position  he  was  placed  in, 
and  cried  out  in  terror  and  anguish.  Soon  he  became  delirious 
and  raved  and  swore  in  a  horrible  manner,  cursing  the  judge 
and  the  jury  for  condemning  him  to  prison  for  life.  Now  he 
was  in  fancy  a  prisoner  and  being  nailed  up  in  the  box,  and 
then  passing  the  great  prison  gates  he  was  hauled  to  the  rail- 
way, and  now  he  was  frantically  kicking  off  the  boards  of  the 
box  which  held  him  prisoner,  now  he  was  leaping  onto  the 
moving  freight  train,  and  as  the  train  reaches  the  steep  grade 
he  jumps  off  and  runs  into  the  woods. 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha ! "  he  raves,  "  you  will  never  take  me  alive 
now,"  and  he  fancies  he  has  secured  the  hunter's  firearms. 

Now  he  is  pursued  by  the  men  and  bloodhounds,  and  in 
fiendish  delight  he  imagines  that  he  is  pouring  the  deadly  con- 
tents of  the  gun  into  their  great  bodies. 

Now  he  sees  the  train  in  the  distance.  It  comes  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  he  leaps  upon  the  platform  of  the  baggage  car 
and  laughs  at  his  pursuers. 

"  Eush  on,  chariot  of  the  devil,"  he  raves,  "  rush  on  to  per- 
dition and  bear  me  to  the  dead  girl." 

His  senses  leave  him  again,  and  he  does  not  awake  again 
until  evening.  It  is  dark,  and  he  staggers  to  his  feet,  mutter- 
ing, "  Why  in  the  devil  don't  she  come.  The  boys  will  miss 
me  at  the  club  and  suspect.  I  will  look  and  see  if  she  has  left 
me  a  note,"  and  staggers  over  to  the  place  where  the  same  old 
log  lies,  thrusts  his  hand  within  the  small  opening,  mutters, 
"  Nothing  there ;  she  will  soon  be  here,  and  I  will  wait  for 
her." 

178 


KETEIBUTION.  179 

In  fancy  he  sees  her  come.  The  same  old  scene  is  again  gone 
over,  and  they  are  again  on  the  dam.  Cursing  her,  he  shouts, 
"  You  will  never  live  to  tell  her  I  ruined  your  life ! " 

Eising  to  his  feet  he  rushes  to  the  edge  of  the  dam,  and 
standing  on  the  very  edge  he  in  fancy  flings  her  down,  down 
to  the  boiling,  hissing  waters  below.  Cautiously  he  looks 
around  to  see  if  he  has  been  discovered,  and  then  starts  as  if 
to  go  home.  Suddenly  he  stops,  for  this  time  in  reality  he 
sees  the  figure  of  a  belated  pedestrian  approaching.  He  tarns 
around,  but  the  man  who  is  coming  observes  his  strange  actions 
and  quickens  his  pace.  Frank  also  quickens  his  footsteps  and 
reaches  the  dam  again,  and  looking  back  he  shouts  to  the  puz- 
zled citizen,  "  I  know  who  you  are.  You  are  the  prison  war- 
den, come  to  take  me  back  again.  But  you  never  shall.  I 
defy  you  all.  Curse  you,  I  defy  you.  Ha !  ha  !  ha !  "  he  raves, 
dancing  on  the  very  ends  of  the  boards  projecting  out  over 
the  water,  "take  me  if  you  can.  I  defy  you!  I  defy  the 
whole  world ! " 

"  The  man  is  as  mad  as  a  march  hare,"  mutters  the  citizen, 
who  is  an  employee  of  the  saw  mill  company.  "  I  must  save 
him  or  he  will  throw  himself  into  the  water  and  be  drowned 
before  my  very  eyes/' 

"With  this  object  in  view  he  cautiously  edged  his  way  toward 
the  mad  man.  He  was  a  powerfully-built  man  of  Herculean 
strength,  and  the  crazy  man  would  be  but  a  child  in  his  grasp, 
consequently  he  felt  no  fear. 

Frank,  with  the  cunning  of  a  mad  man,  watches  him  out 
of  the  corner  of  his  eye.  "  Come  closer,  come  closer/'  he  said, 
tauntingly;  "Why  don't  you  come  and  take  me?" 

The  citizen  edged  closer  still,  and  when  he  thought  him- 
self near  enough  he  made  a  spring  toward  the  jibbering 
maniac. 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha !  You  thought  you  had  me  that  time,  war- 
den, didn't  you?  But  I  know  a  trick  worth  two  of  that. 
Marguerite!  Marguerite!  open  your  arms.  I  come  to  join 
you!" 


180  THE   MERCHANT   OF  MT.   VERNON. 

With  a  spring  he  bounds  high  in  the  air,  and  with  a  last 
blood-curdling  laugh  he  shot  far  out  in  the  foaming  waters 
below  and  sank  from  sight. 

"  Good  God !  "  muttered  the  would-be  rescuer,  aghast,  "  he 
has  drowned  himself  in  spite  of  all  I  could  do  to  prevent  him. 
There  is  no  use  for  me  to  look  for  his  body,  for  it  will  be 
swept  far  down  the  stream  before  I  can  procure  a  boat.  .  All  I 
can  do  is  to  go  back  to  the  city  and  spread  the  alarm." 

Suiting  the  words  to  action,  he  quickly  retraced  his  steps 
and  told  the  first  policeman  whom  he  met  the  news. 

The  officer  aroused  a  couple  of  the  day  officers,  and  together 
they  searched  the  river  banks  far  up  and  down,  but  were 
unable  to  find  any  trace  of  the  maniac. 

"We  can  do  nothing  further  until  daylight,"  finally  said 
one  of  the  officers. 

"  You  are  right,"  replied  both  of  his  companions,  "  and 
we  might  as  well  turn  in  until  daylight  and  get  some  rest." 

They  all  agreed  to  this,  and  the  two  day  officers  sought  their 
respective  homes. 

At  daybreak  the  search  was  resumed,  and  this  time  the 
banks  of  the  river  were  lined  with  curious  people,  who  had 
learned  the  news  of  the  mad  man's  terrible  leap. 

About  11  a.m.  the  body  was  found  among  the  debris  of  a  pile 
of  driftwood  in  the  center  of  the  stream,  and,  strange  to  relate, 
only  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  same  spot  where  the  body 
of  poor,  beautiful  Marguerite  Manning  was  found. 

The  coroner  was  notified,  and  he  hastened  at  once  to  the 
scene.  He  held  a  post-mortem  examination  of  the  body  of  the 
dead  man,  and  the  f  ollowing  verdict  was  rendered : 

"  We,  the  coroner's  jury,  find  that  the  deceased  came  to  his 
death  while  insane,  by  deliberately  throwing  himself  off  from 
the  Mt.  Vernon  dam." 

The  man  who  tried  to  prevent  the  maniac  from  committing 
suicide  told  of  the  man's  last  words,  and  into  the  minds  of 
several  rushed  the  thought,  "  It  must  be  Frank  Vernon ! "  He 
was  known  to  have  escaped  from  the  prison,  but  the  body  was 


KETKIBUTION.  181 

so  badly  mutilated  from  contact  with  the  sharp  stones  that  it 
was  impossible  to  identify  him. 

A  messenger  was  dispatched  to  Mt.  Vernon,  and  Drs.  Ver- 
non  and  Ellis  were  requested  to  come  and  view  the  body.  In  a 
short  time  the  two  physicians  appeared  on  the  scene,  but  were 
unable  to  identify  the  horribly  mutilated  countenance  of  the 
dead  maniac. 

Dr.  Vernon  was  pale,  but  bending  down  he  quickly  tore 
open  the  ragged  edges  of  the  shirt  on  the  corpse,  remembering 
that  there  was  a  scar  from  a  burn  Frank  had  received  in  child- 
hood. There,  sure  enough,  was  the  scar,  vividly  plain  in  spite 
of  the  bruises  on  the  flesh. 

Sinking  on  his  knees,  he  murmured,  "  God,  Thy  will  be 
done."  Kising,  he  instructed  that  a  litter  be  built,  and  they 
carried  him  to  a  nearby  farm  house,  where  a  horse  and  wagon 
was  procured  and  the  body  was  removed  to  an  undertaking 
establishment. 

"  The  sad  news  must  be  broken  to  his  mother  now,"  said 
Dr.  Ellis  to  James. 

"Yes,"  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "and  I  fear  the  shock  will  be 
fatal." 

But  it  was  not.  The  news  had  already  reached  every  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  Some  enterprising  newscarrier  had  seen 
to  that  part  of  it.  There  are  always  some  people  who  take  a 
keen  delight  in  breaking  news  of  this  character. 

Mrs.  Vernon,  Violet  and  Mary  were  sitting  in  the  drawing 
room  at  Greenwold  when  the  two  physicians  entered,  and  a 
glance  into  the  faces  of  each  sufficed  to  inform  them  that  some 
one  had  already  been  before  them  with  the  sad  tidings. 

Dr.  Vernon  went  up,  and  kissing  the  pale,  tear-stained  face 
of  his  trembling  mother,  said,  "  The  Almighty  has  seen  fit  to 
take  his  spirit  unto  Himself  and  we  can  but  bow  to  His  will." 

"Yes,"  sobbed  Mrs.  Vernon,  "and  I  feel  that  my  poor, 
wayward  boy  is  better  off  in  heaven  than  he  was  in  this  sin- 
ful world.  I  feared  when  he  was  a  child  that  his  violent  tem- 
per would  some  day  get  him  into  trouble." 


182  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

"  Poor  mother/7  said  Violet,  "  this  is  indeed  a  sad  ending 
to  what  promised  to  be  such  a  brilliant  career.  I  have  lost  a 
husband  and  you  a  son  to-day,  but,  like  yourself,  I  feel  that 
he  is  better  off,  and  you,  too,  Dr.  Vernon,  my  more  than 
brother,  you  have  lost  an  only  brother;  but  I  know  what  a 
source  of  trouble  and  anxiety  he  has  ever  been  to  you,  and 
perhaps  it  is  all  for  the  best  that  the  Almighty  has  seen  fit 
to  take  His  wayward  soul  unto  Himself." 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Vernon.  "  It  may  sound  cold-blooded,  but 
in  my  heart  I  feel  that  it  is  best  as  it  is." 

Mary  took  the  matter  more  calmly  than  was  expected,  and 
little  Grade,  when  told,  cried  a  little,  but,  poor  little  thing, 
her  baby  mind  could  not  grasp  the  full  significance  of  death. 

The  funeral  was  held  two  days  after  the  discovery  of  the 
body.  The  papers  were  full  of  the  tragic  death  of  the  mur- 
derer and  convict,  but  gradually  died  away  and  was  forgotten 
by  all  except  the  relatives  and  intimate  friends  of  the  family. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

After 


Five  years  have  passed  away  since  the  tragic  death  of  Frank 
Vernon  —  five  years  of  peace  and  quiet  to  the  relatives  of  the 
dead  man. 

Let  us  look  in  upon  them  as  they  all  congregate  in  the  par- 
lor of  Dr.  Vernon's  elegant  residence. 

He  has  been  highly  successful  the  last  few  years,  and  the 
interior  of  his  home  shows  it.  Many  additional  changes  have 
been  made,  and  Greenwold  is  indeed  a  palatial  residence  now. 

In  looks  he  isn't  a  day  older  than  he  was  on  that  tragic  day 
five  years  ago,  although  there  is  a  more  thoughtful  expression 
on  his  countenance,  a  countenance  that  inspires  confidence 
and  respect  in  the  minds  of  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him, 
and  hope  to  the  sick  and  afflicted.  He  still  maintains  the 
same  upright  carriage  and  wears  the  golden  beard. 

Mrs.  Vernon's  hair  is  as  white  as  snow,  but  there  is  a  quiet, 
peaceful  look  in  her  face  that  speaks  of  perfect  contentment. 
If  there  are  lines  in  her  face  they  are  but  tokens  of  the  past, 
a  past  that  is  rigidly  avoided  by  all  ;  and  if  there  are  moments 
when  memories  of  past  sorrows  come  into  her  mind  they  do 
not  show  on  her  placid  brow. 

Mary  and  her  husband  are  lovers  still,  and  her  happy  looks 
and  ruddy  cheeks  tell  of  a  life  of  perfect  happiness.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  bouncing,  healthy  children,  who  romp 
about  on  the  floor. 

Violet  sits  on  the  piano  stool.  She  has  been  playing  and 
singing,  but  turns  around  as  she  hears  Dr.  Ellis  say  : 

"  By  Jove,  Mary,  Violet  grows  younger  and  more  beautiful 
every  day." 

She  blushes  and  says: 

"Dr.  Ellis,  you  should  not  make  remarks  about  me  when 
my  back  is  turned." 

183 


184  THE   MERCHANT   OP  MT.   VERNON. 

"Well,  I  will  say  it  to  your  face,  then,"  says  the  doctor, 
laughing ;  "  I  think  you  are  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  Mt. 
Vernon." 

"  Well,  I  like  that!  "  said  Mary. 

"It  is  the  truth.  I  do  think  so,"  affirmed  Dr.  Ellis;  "but 
you  are  the  sweetest,  Mary,  dear." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Mary.  "  I  think  Violet  is  the  most 
beautiful  woman  in  Mt.  Vernon  myself,  and  when  one  woman 
says  that  of  another  there  must  be  some  truth  in  it." 

Dr.  Vernon  says  nothing,  but  the  look  in  his  eyes  speaks 
more  than  he  dare  tell,  and  although  Violet  is  not  looking  at 
him  she  feels  his  eyes  upon  her  and  rises  in  confusion  and 
makes  a  pretence  of  helping  one  of  the  children  to  extract 
itself  from  between  the  rounds  of  a  rocking  chair. 

They  all  smile  except  Dr.  Vernon,  who  snatches  little 
twelve-year-old  Gracie  up  and  begins  talking  to  her.  The 
child  gives  promise  of  having  the  same  great  loveliness  that 
the  mother  possesses. 

A  sudden  thought  seems  to  strike  the  little  maiden,  and  she 
says,  suddenly,  "  Uncle  Jim,  why  don't  you  get  married  ?  " 

The  question  is  so  abrupt,  so  entirely  unexpected,  that  the 
usually  calm  doctor  can  only  gasp, 

"What?" 

"  Why  don't  you  get  married,  like  Uncle  Will,  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  grown-up  people?  I  mean  to  when  I  get  big 
enough." 

Dr.  Ellis  roars,  Mary  laughs  and  Mrs.  Vernon  smiles,  and 
Violet  pretends  to  hunt  up  some  music. 

"Mamma  and  you  are  not  real  brother  and  sister,  are 
you?" 

Dr.  Vernon  tries  to  parry  the  question,  but  the  pert  little 
maiden  is  persistent  and  demands  an  answer. 

"  Certainly  not,"  he  says  at  length,  seeing  the  futility  of 
avoiding  an  answer. 

"  You  love  her,  don't  you?  " 

"  Certainly  he  does,"  says  Dr.  Ellis,  promptly. 


AFTER   FIVE    YEARS.  185 

"  Well,  she  loves  Uncle  Jim,  too,  because  one  day  I  saw 
her  take  his  picture  and  say,  e  My  lost  love,  a  cruel  misun- 
derstanding has  parted  us  forever!  How  happy  I  could  have 
been  as  your  wife ! ' ; 

No  one  is  laughing  now;  the  situation  has  become  too 
serious. 

Dr.  Yernon  says  sharply,  under  his  breath,  "You  little 
rascal,  if  you  don't  shut  up  I'll  throw  you  out  of  the  win- 
dow," while  Violet  is  furiously  turning  the  pages  of  a  music 
book  that  is  upside  down. 

The  little  miss  is  conscious  that  in  some  way  she  has  com- 
mitted a  terrible  sin,  but  is  unable  to  quite  understand  what 
it  is. 

Dr.  Ellis  says,  "  It  is  time  for  us  to  be  going,"  and  no  one 
disputes  him.  Dr.  Vernon  gets  his  hat  for  him  immediately, 
and  Violet  hurries  after  the  children's  and  Mary's  wraps. 

Dr.  Vernon  accompanies  them  to  the  front  gate,  and,  as 
they  turn  down  the  sidewalk  there  is  a  sly  twinkle  in  Dr. 
Ellis'  eye  as  he  says,  "  And  a  little  child  shall  lead  them  all. 
That  child  has  got  more  sense  than  you  have.  Can't  you  see 
and  understand  that  the  prize  is  yours?  All  you  have  got 
to  do  is  to  '  ask,  and  it  shall  be  given,' "  said  he,  again  quot- 
ing scripture. 

Dr.  Vernon  says  nothing  in  return  to  Dr.  Ellis'  remarks, 
but  as  he  ascends  the  front  steps  of  the  veranda  there  is  a 
thoughtful  look  on  his  face,  and  he  says,  under  his  breath, 
"Why  not?  I  believe  I  have  been  a  fool  and  that  I  am 
spoiling  both  our  lives.  At  any  rate,  I  will  ask  her  when 
I  get  an  opportunity.  e  Faint  heart  never  won  fair  lady/ 
But  I  fear  in  my  soul  that  I  will  never  be  able  to  muster  up 
courage  enough.  Confound  that  kid!  I'll — I'll  get  her  a 
nice  riding  pony  for  what  she  said  to-night." 

When  he  re-entered  the  house,  Violet  and  Gracie  had 
made  their  exit,  and  he  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief  when  he  noted 
their  absence.  As  he  looked  at  his  mother,  there  was  a  mis- 
chievous smile  playing  about  the  corners  of  her  mouth,  and 


186  THE   MERCHANT   OF  MT.   VERNON. 

she  said,  in  an  undertone,  "  Violet  and  Gracie  have  gone  to 
their  room." 

"Thank  heaven/'  said  Dr.  Vernon.  "That  child  is 
enough  to  drive  one  to  distraction." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  she  can  see  more  plainly  than  you 
can,  my  son.  You  are  blind,  blind/' 

Several  days  passed.  Dr.  Vernon  had  a  dozen  chances  to 
ask  Violet  to  become  his  wife,  but  each  time  his  courage 
failed  him.  He  would  say  "  Violet!  "  She  would  look  at  him, 
and  his  courage  would  melt,  and  he  would  turn  the  con- 
versation off  on  some  idiotic  subject,  as  the  crops  or  the 
weather,  a  subject  that  interested  neither.  At  these  times 
Dr.  Vernon  would  silently  curse  himself  and  his  cowardice. 

One  afternoon  Mrs.  Vernon  and  little  Gracie  were  out  for 
a  drive.  Elph  was  the  driver,  and  Dr.  Vernon  knew  from 
past  experiences  that  they  would  be  gone  a  long  time.  Dr. 
Ellis  was  out  calling  on  some  patients.  Dr.  Vernon  care- 
fully adjusted  his  cravat,  locked  up  the  office  and  put  a  sign 
on  the  door,  "  Called  out  on  important  business." 

"  Now,  I'm  going  to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife.  I'll  not  be  a 
fool  any  longer. 

He  rapidly  made  his  way  to  Greenwold,  hurriedly  ran  up 
the  steps  and  pretended  to  try  to  find  something  in  his  office, 
and  fussed  around  for  fully  fifteen  minutes  before  gather- 
ing up  courage  enough  to  go  into  the  sitting-room,  where  he 
knew  Violet  would  surely  be. 

"  Hang  it  all,  James  Vernon,  you  are  a  cowardly  idiot  to 
let  a  mere  woman  scare  you  so.  Why,  your  pulse  is  beating 
like  a  trip-hammer,"  he  said,  feeling  of  that  member. 

"  Now,  what  excuse  can  I  make  to  go  in  there?  "  he  solilo- 
quized. "Ah!  I  have  it!  I'll  go  in  and  make  believe  I 
didn't  know  mother  was  gone.  I'll  tell  Violet  that  I  came 
to  ask  mother  to  go  riding  with  me." 

With  this  speech  on  his  tongue,  he  went  into  the  sitting- 
room,  where  he  knew  the  object  of  his  thoughts  was  sitting. 

She  had  seen  him  come  into  the  house  and  heard  him 


AFTER   FIVE   YEARS.  187 

ransacking  about  in  his  office;  she  knew  perfectly  well  what 
he  had  come  for. 

"  Is  mother  here  ?  "  he  said,  simulating  a  look  of  inno- 
cence that  was  so  perfectly  ridiculous  that  Violet  burst  out 
laughing  in  spite  of  herself,  and  immediately  after  could 
have  bit  her  tongue  off,  the  look  of  distress  on  the  poor 
doctor's  face  was  so  genuine. 

"  Violet,  you  are  laughing  at  me." 

"  No,  I  was  not,"  she  fibbed.  "  I  was  only  thinking  of  a 
funny  occurrence  that  happened  this  morning." 

"  Oh,"  said  Dr.  Vernon,  much  relieved. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Violet,  "  I  believe  you  were  asking 
about  your  mother  just  now." 

"  Yes;  I  was  going  to  ask  her  if  she  didn't  want  to  go  for 
a  drive." 

"  Have  you  got  the  carriage  at  the  door?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Oh,  how  sweet  of  you!  Mother  has  just  stepped  out,  but 
I  am  just  dying  for  a  good,  long  drive.  This  is  a  beautiful 
afternoon.  I  will  hurry  up  and  get  my  wraps  on,  and  you 
can  take  me,"  she  said,  pretending  to  make  a  motion  as  if 
to  go  after  her  wraps. 

"  Don't  go,  don't  go,"  he  said,  nervously.  "  I,  that  is,  we, 
or  us — hang  it  all,  I  forgot  all  about  the  carriage." 

"  Well,  that  won't  matter  much.  I  can  walk  to  the  office 
with  you.  It  is  only  a  short  distance.  I  suppose  you  left 
it  there,  didn't  you?  "  she  said,  interrogatively. 

"  Er-er,  Dr.  Ellis  is  using  it,  come  to  think  about  it." 

"  Now,  that  is  too  bad.  I  did  so  want  to  take  a  ride,"  she 
said,  looking  as  disappointed  as  possible. 

"Confound  the  carriage!"  he  muttered  under  his  breath. 
"  Violet,"  he  blurted  out,  "  I  didn't  come  here  to  see  mother. 
I  want  to  say  something  to  you." 

"  You  didn't  come  to  see  your  mother?  "  she  said,  looking 
surprised.  "  Why,  I  thought  you  said  that  you  were  going 
'to  take  her  for  a  drive.  Now,  let  me  see  what  can  you  pos- 


188  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

sibly  wish  to  say  to  me  that  is  so  urgent?  I  cannot  imagine. 
Do  enlighten  me,  for  I  am  nearly  dying  with  curiosity,"  she 
said,  rising  and  gazing  out  into  the  street. 

To  herself  she  said,  "  The  foolish  man!  He  will  back  out 
yet  if  I  don't  manage  him  right. 

"  Violet,  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  I — that  I  want  you 
to  be — to  be  careful  about  going  out  in  the  evening  without 
your  wraps!  You  know  there  is  a  great  deal  of  sickness  in 
the  city  now,  and  you  are  not  very  strong." 

"  The  idea!  "  pouted  Violet.  "  You  know  that  I  was  sick 
but  once  in  my  life.  Do  you  remember  the  time?  It  was 
when  you  started  away  to  college.  Now,  James,  you  didn't 
come  here  to  tell  me  any  such  nonsense.  Come  over  here 
and  tell  me  what  it  is  that  is  troubling  you  so  much  of  late." 

"  James  Vernon,"  he  muttered,  under  his  breath,  "  you  are 
a  blooming  idiot,  and  some  one  ought  to  kick  you.  The  girl 
wants  you  to  take  her  in  your  arms,  and  you  dare  not  do  it. 
I  believe  the  blood  in  your  veins  is  growing  chilled,  and  you 
are  becoming  a  timid  old  man." 

"  Well,"  said  Violet,  "  are  you  coming  over  here  and  tell 
me?" 

The  doctor  arose,  and  she  resumed  her  most  important 
occupation  of  looking  out  into  the  street.  He  approached 
her,  and  she  didn't  seem  conscious  of  his  presence.  He 
stood  right  behind  her,  as  she  said,  for  the  third  time, 
"  James,  are  you  going  to  tell  me  what  is  on  your  mind?  " 

He  opened  his  arms  and  put  them  nearly  around  her,  but 
drew  back  again,  his  courage  failing  him.  "If  I  only 
dared!"  he  gasped. 

"  I  will  this  time,"  and  he  put  out  his  arms  again,  but  his 
courage  failed  him,  and  he  allowed  them  to  drop  back  to  his 
sides  again.  "  It's  no  use,"  he  sighed.  "  I  can't  pluck  up 
courage  enough." 

"  Oh,  my!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Here  is  a  horrid  bee;  it  will 
catch  me!  "  and  stepped  quickly  back,  pretended  to  trip,  and 
fell  backward  into  the  outstretched  arms  of  the  doctor.. 


AFTER   FIVE   YEARS.  189 

"Where  is  the  bee?  Where  is  the  bee?"  he  exclaimed, 
anxiously. 

"  Oh,  you  stupid!  Can't  you  see  that  you  are  the  bee?  " 

"Violet!"  he  shouted,  "I  love  you!  I  love  you!  I  love 
you! » 

"Well,  it  took  you  a  long  time  to  say  so,"  she  said, 
naively. 

"  WTio's  afraid  to  tell  you?  I'm  not!  "  and  he  clasped  her 
tightly  in  his  arms,  kissing  her  lips,  her  cheeks  and  her  hair. 
All  the  pent-up  love  and  passion  that  had  been  throttled 
for  years  by  an  iron  will  was  poured  out  in  that  minute,  and 
Violet  felt  that  she  was  more  than  repaid  for  all  the  suffering 
and  misery  her  one  mad  act  had  entailed  upon  her,  the  long 
span  of  years  was  crossed  at  a  single  bound,  and  they  were 
boy  and  girl  again  in  youth's  golden  paradise  under  the  old 
grape  arbor. 

"  Can  you  ever  forgive  me  for  the  pain  I  have  inflicted 
upon  you?  "  she  said,  throwing  her  arms  about  him  as  in 
days  of  yore. 

He  stopped  the  question  with  a  kiss,  and  replied,  "  Let  the 
past  be  forgotten  and  buried  in  its  own  sad  memories.  Let 
us  live  for  the  present,  for  the  future  and  for  our  mutual 
happiness." 

"  Yes,  let  us  forget  the  past  and  live  only  in  the  light  of 
our  great  love.  We  will  be  the  same  boy  and  girl  to  each 
other  as  we  were  before  that  terrible  night,  when  we  were 
both  made  the  dupes  of  those  two  who  are  now  sitting  before 
the  judgment  seat  of  Him  who  will  judge  us  all." 

"  I  promise  not  to  offend  again,"  she  said. 

With  the  reader's  kind  permission,  we  will  draw  a  curtain 
over  the  rest  of  that  scene  and  look  in  again  upon  them  a 
few  months  later  as  they  make  preparations  for  their  wed- 
ding. 

It  is  going  to  be  a  grand  affair,  and  the  columns  of  the 
papers  are  again  filled  with  the  history  of  the  Vernon  family. 
They  state  that  the  two  were  lovers  in  youth  and  were  en- 


190  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

gaged  to  be  married;  they  quarrelled  and  she  married  the 
brother  of  the  prospective  bridegroom  for  spite.  But  he 
never  forgot  his  first  love,  and  waited  all  these  long  years  for 
his  little  lost  sweetheart.  Now  they  were  going  to  be  mar- 
ried at  last. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Unng  Watting  OS)tr?r  at  Cast 

It  is  Violet's  wedding  morn,  and  the  sun  never  shone  on 
a  fairer  or  more  beautiful  morning. 

The  birds  twitter  in  the  branches  of  the  old  oak  tree, 
whose  limbs  brush  against  her  window,  and  their  chirping 
awakens  her.  The  sun  shines  through  the  open  window, 
pouring  a  halo  of  golden  light  over  her,  and  she  quickly 
springs  out  of  bed  and  runs  to  the  window. 

"Beautiful!  beautiful!"  she  exclaims,  sinking  on  her 
knees  before  the  window;  "was  there  ever  such  a  perfect 
beginning  of  a  day — a  day  that  will  unite  me  to  the  man 
whom  I  so  cruelly  wronged  and  misjudged — that  terrible 
night  that  seems  so  long  ago  ?  God  grant  that  the  beginning 
of  our  wedded  lives  may  be  as  perfect  as  this  lovely  morning, 
and  continue  so  to  the  end." 

Eising  from  her  kneeling  posture,  she  quickly  dresses 
herself  and  descends  the  spiral  stairway  leading  into  the 
great  hall  below. 

She  is  the  first  one  up,  with  the  exception  of  old  Aunt 
Lizzie,  who  is  busily  engaged  in  arranging  the  dainties  for 
the  wedding  supper. 

She  sees  her  young  mistress  as  the  latter  peeps  through 
the  door  at  her  and  exclaims,  "  Come  in,  honey,  come  right 
in,  honey,  and  see  youh  old  Aunt  Lizzie  fixing  de  good  fings 
for  youh  wedding  supper." 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Lizzie!  "  she  exclaims,  putting  both  fair  white 
arms  about  the  old  colored  woman's  portly  form.  "  I  am  so 
happy  this  morning — happier  than  I  ever  was  in  my  life." 

"Yes,  honey,  youh  ought  to  be  happy,  'cause  youh  done 
going  to  marry  de  best  man  what  ever  lived.  I  done  seen 
his  grandfodder,  and  den  his  fodder,  married,  and  now  Fee 

191 


192  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.  VERNON. 

going  to  see  him  married.  Dere  is  going  to  be  good  luck  dis 
time  foh  youh  and  a  long  and  happy  life.  Now,  honey,  you 
come  out  under  the  shade  of  the  old  oak  tree,  and  den  we 
will  sit  down,  and  I  will  tell  youh  why;  youh  old  Aunt  Lizzie 
ain't  as  young  as  she  used  to  be,  and  I  can't  stand  on  my  feet 
like  I  done  used  to.  Why,  honey,  Fse  one  hundred  and  one 
years  old.  Dat  am  a  long  time;  dat  am  long  enough  for  any- 
body to  lib.  My  eyes  am  getting  bery  poor,  and  I  reckon  I 
am  getting  about  useless." 

"  Don't  say  that,  Aunt  Lizzie.  You  could  never  be  useless. 
You  and  Uncle  Joe  have  been  the  most  faithful  friends  mor- 
tals ever  had,  and  it  will  be  a  task  of  love  to  wait  upon  you 
in  your  old  age." 

"  Dat  you  would,  honey;  dat  you  would,  I  knows;  but  since 
Joseph  done  died  dese  last  five  years  ago,  I  kindah  feel  dat 
it  am  best  dat  I  go,  too." 

"  Now,  mammy,  you  must  not  talk  like  that.  You  will  live 
a  long  time  yet.  Why,  you  are  almost  as  spry  as  Martha  is." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  honey,  but  Martha  am  a  very  old  woman, 
too;  she  am  over  eighty  years  old." 

"Gracious!"  said  Violet,  "that  seems  like  a  long  time. 
Why,  just  think  of  it,  I  am  nearly  thirty,  myself." 

"Dat  am  true,  honey,  but  youh  am  just  in  the  prime  of 
life;  you  and  Marse  James  have  got  many  long  years  to  live 
yet."" 

"  Yes,  mammy,  but  you  have  not  told  me  why  I  am  going 
to  have  good  luck  on  this  day." 

"I  am  coming  to  dat,  honey.  And  now,  to  begin  with, 
Marse  James'  grandf  odder  was  married  on  a  dark,  rainy  day, 
and  the  result  was  dat  in  one  year  and  a  half  de  poor,  pretty 
missis  was  laid  away  to  rest.  At  de  time  Marse  James'  fod- 
der was  born  she  was  bery,  bery  beautiful,  and  reminded  me 
of  a  beautiful  white  lily  ebery  time  I  looked  at  her.  Just 
before  Marse  James'  fodder  was  born  she  called  me  to  her 
bed-room  and  said  'Lizzie,  I  am  never  going  to  rise  from 
dis  here  bed,  and  if  my  child  lives  you  must  be  a  modder 


LOVE'S   LONG   WAITING   OVER  AT   LAST.  193 

to  it  and  always  lobe  it  just  as  if  it  was  your  own  child/  I 
knew  dat  my  poor,  beautiful  mistress  was  speaking  de  truth, 
but  I  tried  to  let  on  as  if  I  didn't;  but  she  said,  '  Lizy,  you 
can't  fool  me.  We  bof  know  dat  I  won't  live  through  the 
trying  ordeal,  and  you  must  promise  me  what  I  have  asked/ 
Den  I  just  failed  on  my  knees  and  said,  '  I  will  ebber  be  a 
modder  to  it/ 

"  Well,  suah  enough,  de  poor,  pretty  missis  did  die,  but  de 
child,  Marse  James'  father,  libed.  The  marse  nebber  seemed 
to  be  the  same  again.  He  just  wandered  about  the  house 
and  grounds  like  one  in  a  dream.  He  nebber  spoke  to  any 
one  bery  much,  and  pined  and  pined  away,  and  when  Marse 
James'  fodder  was  twelve  years  old  he  just  took  to  his  bed  one 
afternoon,  and  de  next  morning,  when  he  didn't  get  up,  I 
opened  de  door,  and  dere  he  sit  in  a  chair  in  a  dressing-gown 
as  natural  as  life.  He  had  de  pooh  missis'  picture  on  his 
knees,  and  he  was  gazing  at  it  like  he  was  in  a  deep  study. 
I  spoke  to  him,  and  he  didn't  answer,  but  I  was  used  to  dat 
because  he  done  dat  lots  of  times  before;  den  I  went  up  and 
shook  him,  and  de  picture  fall  on  de  floor,  and  his  head  fall 
forward  on  his  breast.  I  held  him  up,  and  den  I  touch  his 
face.  It  was  cold,  and  den  I  see  dat  he  was  dead,  dead,  with 
de  poor  missis'  picture  in  his  hands. 

"  Now,  honey,  dat  am  de  first  link  in  de  chain  of  circum- 
stances dat  go  to  show  dat  you  am  going  to  have  good  luck 
on  dis  bright  sunshiny  day.  Now,  to  resume  mah  story. 
Den  come  Marse  James'  father's  marriage;  it  am  a  beautiful 
day,  just  like  dis,  and  you  see  de  result.  Dey  have  a  long, 
happy  life  without  trouble  until  de  last  end,  when  Marse 
Frank  done  fall  by  de  wayside." 

"  Yes,  yes,  mammy,  but  don't  let  us  talk  of  him." 

"All  right,  honey,  but  I  must  remind  you  of  your  marriage 
wid  Marse  Frank.  It  was  anodder  dark  day,  and  you  know 
l)ery  well  how  it  turned  out. 

"  Now  it  am  a  bright  day  again,  and  dat  goes  to  prove  dat 
it  am  a  token  ob  good  luck." 


194  THE   MERCHANT   OF  MT.   VERNON. 

"You  are  superstitious,  like  all  the  rest  of  your  race, 
mammy,  but  I  hope  your  prophecy  will  come  true." 

"  'Deed  it  will,  honey!  Meed  it  will!  You  may  be  bery  sure 
ob  dat." 

"  Well,  mammy,  we  have  been  out  here  almost  an  hour, 
and  we  had  better  return  to  the  house,  or  they  will  be  search- 
ing for  us.  I  hear  some  of  them  up  and  moving  about  now," 
she  said,  rising  and  going  toward  the  house. 

The  wedding  took  place  at  two-thirty  o'clock,  and  they 
were  to  start  on  their  wedding  trip  at  five.  It  was  planned 
that  they  should  go  to  Southern  California. 

The  wedding  dinner  was  a  grand  affair,  and  lasted  until 
nearly  train  time.  A  great  many  guests  were  invited,  some 
of  them  coming  from  Ann  Arbor  and  Saginaw,  among  them 
ex-Senator  Thurman,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  toast- 
master  at  Will's  and  Mary's  wedding. 

The  time  slipped  away  on  golden  wings,  and,  almost  before 
they  realized  it,  the  time  came  for  them  to  take  their  de- 
parture. 

The  last  good-byes  were  said,  and  they  were  driven  rapidly 
to  the  depot  by  Elph,  who  still  retained  his  position  of  coach- 
man. 

As  they  enter  the  closed  carriage  and  the  door  is  shut,  Dr. 
Vernon  takes  her  in  his  arms  and  murmurs,  "  My  love,  my 
wife  at  last!  Love's  long  waiting  is  over.  Henceforth  you 
are  mine,  mine  alone." 

Violet's  only  answer  is  to  throw  her  beautiful  white  arms 
about  his  neck  and  softly  say,  "  Yes,  yours  at  last,  and  noth- 
ing shall  ever  part  us  again." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A  $bg*  fnmt  %  Jfaat 

The  train  bursts  into  view  around  a  curve  and  rapidly 
approaches.  As  soon  as  it  comes  to  a  standstill  in  front  of 
the  depot  the  doctor  and  his  bride  are  assisted  into  a  Pullman 
by  a  polite  porter,  who  takes  in  the  situation  at  a  glance. 

"  Ah,  ha!  Just  married.  A  rare  chance  for  a  princely  tip," 
he  mutters. 

The  engine  which  has  pulled  the  train  into  the  station  is 
quickly  taken  off  and  another  attached  in  its  place.  The  con- 
ductor signals  the  engineer  to  go  ahead.  The  great  wheels  of 
the  locomotive  slowly  revolve,  but  what  is  that  coming  madly 
down  the  street?  It  is  a  foam-flecked  horse,  its  rider  wildly 
urging  it  on  to  greater  speed  while  he  frantically  waves  his 
hat  at  the  astonished  train  crew.  The  engineer  closes  the 
throttle  and  applies  the  air  brakes.  The  train  comes  to  a 
pause  and  the  conductor  quickly  runs  up  to  the  horseman, 
who  has  thrown  himself  from  the  panting  animal. 

"  Conductor,  Dr.  Vernon  and  his  wife  are  on  your  train, 
and  I  have  a  message  from  a  dying  woman  for  them/'  he  says, 
breathlessly. 

"  All  right,"  responded  the  obliging  railway  official,  "  I  will 
take  you  to  them/' 

"  Doctor ! "  bursts  forth  the  rider  as  he  enters  the  car  and 
catches  sight  of  the  doctor  and  his  wife,  "  Mrs.  Eothf ord  is 
dying,  and  she  says  she  has  a  confession  to  make  concerning 
Miss  Violet.  I  begs  your  pardon,  I  means  your  wife,"  said 
the  messenger,  who  is  Mrs.  Rothford's  servant. 

"What  can  it  mean?"  said  Violet,  wonderingly.  "We 
must  postpone  our  trip  a  short  time,  darling,  and  go  and  see. 
It  must  be  something  important,  indeed,  that  would  cause 
Mrs.  Rothford  to  send  for  any  of  us." 

195 


196  THE   MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  doctor;  "you  know  how  bitterly 
she  has  always  hated  us  since  Susanne  died?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  and  that  is  what  perplexes  me/'  said 
Violet. 

"  Conductor,  would  it  be  too  much  trouble  to  put  our  lug- 
gage off  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Certainly  not/'  replied  the  obliging  official. 

Doctor  Vernon  and  his  bride  alighted  from  the  train  and 
again  climbed  into  the  vehicle  which  had  conveyed  them  to 
the  depot. 

"Elph,  drive  like  the  devil  back  home.  We  must  get 
mother  and  go  out  to  Mrs.  Eothford's  home.  It  is  fully  five 
miles  out  of  the  city,  and  the  woman  is  dying." 

"  All  right,  sah ;  I  done  get  you  out  in  double  quick  time. 
Dis  am  de  best  team  in  de  county,  and  I  done  knows  how  to 
make  dem  do  their  berry  best,  sah." 

The  Vernon  residence  is  soon  reached,  and  they  find  Mrs. 
Vernon  all  ready  and  waiting.  The  messenger  had  gone  to  the 
house  in  quest  of  them,  and  when  informed  that  they  were 
probably  boarding  the  train  at  that  very  moment  he  quickly 
told  why  he  had  come  and  then  dashed  madly  away  in  the  hope 
of  still  being  in  time  to  deliver  his  message. 

As  soon  as  Mrs.  Vernon  is  assisted  into  the  carriage  the 
imp  speaks  a  few  sharp  words  to  the  thoroughbreds  and  they 
are  off  like  the  wind. 

"  By  golly!  Dis  am  not  the  first  time  dat  Fse  raced  dese 
hosses  against  dat  grim  old  monster  called  death  and  won  de 
race,  and  I  am  sure  gwine  to  win  dis  time !  I  feels  it  in  ma 
bones  dat  dat  old  lady  Eothford  am  gwine  to  make  some  im- 
portant revelations  'garding  Miss  Violet,  and  I  done  wonder 
what  dey  is  ?  She  done  say  some  time  ago  dat  she  specks  dere 
is  some  one  in  Mt.  Vernon  what  knows  who  Miss  Violet's  folks 
am.  I  done  told  old  Marse  Vernon  what  she  said,  and  den  he 
says,  '  Nonsense,  imp,  it  is  nothing  but  idle  gossip/  " 

Aloud  he  says :  "  Get  dap,  Dolly !  Hurry  up  dere,  Daisy ! 
You  must  do  youh  berry  best  dis  time,  'cause  dis  am  a  serious 
case,  indeed,  now." 


A   PAGE   FKOM   THE   PAST.  197 

There  is  no  need  to  urge  the  high-spirited  animals  on,  how- 
ever, for  their  Arabian  blood  is  aroused  and  they  fly  over  the 
smooth  road  like  a  whirlwind. 

The  occupants  of  the  carriage  scarcely  speak  during  the 
entire  journey,  for  it  was  all  they  could  do  to  retain  their  seats 
in  the  swaying  vehicle. 

The  Eothf ord  home  is  at  last  reached,  and  they  are  quickly 
ushered  to  the  sick  woman's  room  by  Mr.  Eothford,  who  looks 
pale  and  frightened. 

The  eyes  of  the  dying  woman  light  up  with  a  glad  look  of 
recognition,  and  she  exclaims,  in  a  weak  voice,  "  Oh !  I  was  so 
afraid  that  you  wouldn't  reach  here  in  time,  for  I  know  that  I 
have  but  a  short  time  longer  to  live !  " 

Dr.  Vernon  began  to  try  and  soothe  her  by  a  few  gentle 
words,  but  she  waved  him  aside,  saying : 

"  Doctor,  it  is  useless  to  try  to  hide  the  truth  from  me,  for 
I  know  full  well  that  I  have  but  a  few  short  hours  to  live  at 
the  most,  and  before  I  die  I  have  a  long  story  to  relate  that 
will  tax  my  little  remaining  strength  to  the  utmost.  Violet, 
come  closer,"  she  exclaimed,  her  sad  eyes  gazing  into  Violet's 
blue  orbs. 

Violet  advanced  and  knelt  by  the  bedside,  and  the  dying 
woman's  hand  sought  hers  in  a  clasp  that  seemed  to  beg  for- 
giveness. 

The  others  gathered  closely  around  her  bedside  and  gazed 
upon  her  with  fixed  attention.  Mrs.  Eothford  began : 

"Now  listen,  for  my  time  grows  short.  I,  Patricia 
Eothford,  was  born  in  Kent,  England,  in  the  year  1845. 
My  father,  Adolph  Cornwell,  was  an  Englishman,  as  you 
well  know,  but  he  was  by  birth  and  education  a  gen- 
tleman and  held  a  title  of  high  degree,  being  of  kin 
to  the  Southamptons,  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  Eng- 
land. He  married  Lady  Elizabeth  Stewart,  a  great  heir- 
ess and  a  woman  of  many  accomplishments  and  great 
beauty,  but  she  had  also  a  violent  temper.  I  was 
their  only  child,  and  was  petted  and  spoiled  from  infancy. 


198  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

Great  hopes  were  entertained  for  my  future.  A  great  and 
brilliant  marriage  for  me  was  the  great  hope  of  my  proud  and 
haughty  parents,  and  everything  seemed  to  point  to  its  fulfill- 
ment up  to  the  time  I  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  Duke 
of  Leland's  estate  adjoined  ours.  They  held  a  station  in  life 
and  fortune  which  exceeded  even  that  of  my  father.  They  had 
but  one  child,  a  son  two  years  my  senior.  Ah,  my  God !  How  I 
loved  that  boy,  and  he  seemed  to  like  me  until  Miriam  West- 
erley,  a  distant  relative  of  the  family,  came  to  live  with  them. 
She  was  the  most  beautiful  woman  I  have  ever  beheld,  and 
from  the  moment  young  Lord  Graves'  eyes  rested  upon  her 
he  could  think  of  no  one  else.  I  was  forgotten  and  neglected, 
and  where  he  formerly  spent  his  time  with  me,  he  now  spent 
it  with  her,  and  she  reciprocated  his  love.  I  could  see  it  from 
the  first,  although  she  tried  her  utmost  to  hide  it  from  the 
world.  The  Duke  and  Duchess  were  upright,  conscientious 
persons,  and  when  their  son  told  them  of  his  love  for  their 
talented  young  kinswoman,  and  although  they  might  have 
hoped  for  him  to  have  made  a  wealthier  alliance,  they  con- 
sented to  the  union  of  young  Lord  Graves  to  their  beautiful 
but  poor  relative.  My  mother  was  furious,  but,  as  our  social 
standing  might  be  imperiled  by  the  Duchess,  she  dared  not 
openly  defy  or  offend  her.  A  consultation  was  held  between 
their  Graces  of  Leland  and  my  parents,  Lord  and  Lady  Corn- 
well,  and  the  former  expressed  their  regrets  that  their  son 
could  not  care  for  me  in  the  way  they  had  hoped.  They 
departed  in  all  politeness,  but  there  was  a  gulf  between  the 
two  families,  and  from  that  time  they  drifted  further  and 
further  apart." 

The  sick  woman  paused  to  regain  her  strength,  and  a  few 
drops  of  dark  liquid,  with  a  glass  of  water,  were  given  her.  It 
seemed  to  refresh  her,  and  she  addressed  Violet,  saying : 

"Violet,  do  you  follow  me?  You  understand  that  I  was 
once  the  promised  wife  of —  But  you  will  know  who  later." 

Glancing  at  the  attentive  faces  around  her,  she  continued : 

"  Shortly  after  the  engagement  of  young  Lord  Graves  and 


A   PAGE   FROM   THE   PAST.  199 

Miriam  Westerley  was  announced  my  people  left  England, 
and  we  remained  abroad  for  two  years.  But  my  life  was 
ruined.  All  the  love  of  my  passionate  nature  had  been  given 
to  Lord  Graves,  who  had  thrown  it  carelessly  aside  as  a  thing 
not  worth  mentioning.  But  he  little  knew  the  nature  of  the 
girl  whom  he  had  discarded,  for  the  moment  their  engage- 
ment was  announced  I  swore  I  would  never  rest  night  or  day 
until  I  accomplished  their  undoing  and  made  them  suffer  the 
humiliation  I  had  been  made  to  undergo. 

"  When  we  returned  to  England,  Lord  Grares  and  his  wife 
were  the  proud  and  happy  parents  of  a  new-born  babe.  When 
I  heard  the  news  a  feeling  of  devilish  exultation  seized  me. 
'Here  was  a  chance  to  make  them  drink  from  the  bitter  cup 
I  had  been  forced  to  taste.  I  resolved  to  steal  their  child  and 
laid  my  plans  well.  I  first  secured  a  large  sum  of  money  from 
my  father,  besides  drawing  from  the  bank  the  larger  part  of 
my  own  private  fortune.  Everything  worked  in  my  favor. 
A  few  days  after  I  secured  the  money  I  mysteriously  left 
home,  disguised  myself,  took  a  roundabout  course  and  reached 
Belleville  Castle  under  the  cover  of  a  beautiful  summer  night. 
The  window  of  one  of  the  rooms  was  open,  and  I  crawled 
through,  my  heart  beating  with  terror  lest  I  should  be  dis- 
covered, but,  thanks  to  my  knowledge  of  the  Castle,  I  even 
found  the  nursery  and  found  the  baby  alone  and  asleep.  I 
seized  the  child  and  fled  from  the  house  to  the  railway  station. 
Upon  reaching  the  station  I  barely  had  time  to  purchase  my 
ticket  before  the  train  for  London  came  thundering  in.  I 
got  on  board  with  my  little  burden,  and  in  a  few  hours  we 
were  in  the  great  city  of  London.  The  next  day  I  took  passage 
on  a  steamship  bound  for  New  York.  I  traveled  second  class, 
and  in  this  way  escaped  the  watchful  eye  of  the  detectives 
whom  I  knew  would  be  searching  for  the  stolen  child. 

"  As  soon  as  I  reached  the  wharf  in  New  York  I  expected 
every  minute  I  would  be  seized,  but  I  was  not  molested.  The 
police  in  England  seemed  to  be  confident  that  the  child  was 
concealed  in  London  and  held  for  a  ransom.  I  left  New  York 


200          THE  MERCHANT  OF  MT.  VERNON. 

on  the  first  westbound  train,  and  reached  Saginaw,  Michigan, 
in  due  time.  I  took  apartments  in  a  modest  house,  with  a 
widow  lady,  after  finding  a  convenient  nursery  in  which  to 
leave  the  baby  where  it  would  be  well  cared  for  in  considera/- 
tion  of  a  fair  remuneration. 

"  This  lady  had  a  son  with  whom  I  became  acquainted,  and 
he  seemed  to  take  a  fancy  for  me  from  the  first.  He  was  a 
musician  and  appeared  to  be  a  most  estimable  young  man. 
I  encouraged  him,  and  scarcely  two  weeks  had  passed  before 
we  were  married;  that  is,  I  accepted  him  upon  the  condition 
that  he  ask  me  nothing  of  my  past  life,  and  that  we  move  to 
some  remote  place.  He  was  only  too  glad  to  get  my  consent, 
and  swore  he  cared  nothing  for  my  past  life  if  I  would  be  a 
loving  wife  to  him  in  the  future.  His  mother  protested  at 
first,  but  finally  yielded,  and  I  gave  her  enough  money  to  make 
her  comfortable  the  rest  of  her  life.  I  and  Mr.  Rothford 
directly  after  the  ceremony  started  for  Mt.  Vernon.  It  was 
then  a  mere  hamlet  in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  and  I 
fancied  I  would  be  secure. ' 

"  On  the  way  I  reflected  what  would  be  the  best  course 
to  pursue  in  regard  to  the  child.  I  hated  it  for  the  mother's 
sake  and  resolved  to  abandon  it.  I  would  not  commit  mur- 
der, so  I  confessed  to  my  husband  what  I  had  done.  He  was 
deeply  shocked  and  frightened,  but  he  loved  me  madly,  and 
I  could  easily  mould  him  so  that  he  would  do  my  bidding. 
I  made  him  take  the  child  and  put  it  on  the  doorstep  of  the 
most  pretentious  house  in  the  village.  I  did  this  that  I 
might  more  easily  keep  trace  of  the  child.  Violet,  you  are 
that  child." 

All  was  silence  for  a  moment,  and  no  voice  broke  the  pause. 
Violet  had  risen  from  her  kneeling  posture  and  stood  gazing 
at  the  woman  so  near  death's  door;  their  eyes  met.  With  a 
deep  breath,  gathering  her  strength,  she  went  on: 

"  To  avoid  being  seen  with  a  child,  we  stopped  in  Midland 
and  purchased  a  team  and  wagon  of  our  own,  and  in  this  way 
we  managed  to  reach  Mt.  Vernon  without  anyone  suspecting 
we  had  a  child. 


A  PAGE   FKOM  THE   PAST.  201 

"  With  what  was  left  of  my  money  we  purchased  a  home- 
stead as  near  the  place  where  we  had  left  the  child  as  possi- 
ble, and  my  husband  went  into  business.  He  has  been  ever 
kind  and  loving  to  me,  and  in  time  I  grew  to  love  him  in 
return. 

"A  year  later  we  had  a  little  daughter  of  our  own,  and 
she  grew  up  to  womanhood. 

"  My  crime  was  never  discovered,  but  it  acted  as  a  boom- 
erang in  after  years,  for  my  child  and  the  child  I  had  stolen 
fell  in  love  with  the  same  man,  and  that  man  is — Dr. 
Vernon! " 

All  three  listeners  had  been  silent  and  eager,  and  each 
had  felt  what  was  coming,  but  refrained  from  making  any 
remark,  for  the  woman  was  fast  growing  weaker,  and  Dr. 
Vernon  gave  her  a  stimulant.  She  closed  her  eyes  for  a 
moment  and  gathered  the  little  strength  she  had  left,  and 
at  last  resumed: 

"  You  know  how  it  turned  out;  you  know  all  now.  Violet's 
parents  are  Lord  and  Lady  Edmond  Graves,  now  the  Duke 
and  Duchess  of  Leland,  of  Belleville  Castle,  Kent,  England. 
You  will  have  no  difficulty  whatever  in  locating  them.  In 
fact,  I  have  written  full  directions  and  you  will  find  them 
in  my  effects.  Mr.  Eothford  will  deliver  them  to  you/' 

Here  she  fainted  from  exhaustion,  and  the  husband  of  the 
unhappy  woman  fell  upon  his  knees  by  the  bedside,  weeping 
bitterly. 

Dr.  Vernon  busied  himself  applying  restoratives,  and 
Violet  sat  white  and  still,  while  Mrs.  Vernon  looked  thought- 
ful. 

Under  the  skillful  efforts  of  Dr.  Vernon,  she  regained  con- 
sciousness, but  it  was  the  consciousness  which  precedes  death, 
and  when  she  opened  her  eyes  the  stamp  of  death  was 
already  in  them. 

She  faintly  motioned  for  Violet  to  bend  closer.  She 
obeyed.  There  was  a  moment's  struggle  between  the  grim 
monster  death  and  life,  but  life  was  victorious  for  a  moment, 
and  she  whispered  the  one  word,  "  Forgive! " 


202  THE   MERCHANT  OF   MT.   VERNON. 

Her  glazed  eyes  sought  those  of  Violet  and  caught  sight 
of  the  tear  that  dimmed  Violet's  lovely  blue  orbs,  and,  with  a 
gentle  pressure  of  the  hand  to  let  her  know  that  she  was  for- 
given, the  spirit  of  Patricia  Rothf  ord  winged  its  flight  to  the 
great  unknown  to  meet  its  Maker. 

James  and  Violet  stood  gazing  at  each  other  for  a  moment; 
Mrs.  Vernon,  with  tears  in  her  gentle  eyes,  stood  silently 
looking  upon  the  white,  still  face  of  Patricia  Rothf  ord;  Mr. 
Rothf  ord,  with  a  low  moan  of  anguish,  buried  his  face  in  the 
counterpane. 

A  moment  passed;  then  each  silently  turned  and  softly 
left  the  room,  leaving  the  old  man  alone  with  his  dead. 

As  the  carriage  was  whirling  over  the  smooth  turnpike, 
James,  from  the  depths  of  the  soft  cushions,  remarked,  "  So 
your  true  name  is  really  Violet,  after  all!  Lady  Violet 
Graves! " 

"  Q,  I  .do  not  care  for  that,"  cried  Violet,  showing  her  true 
American  spirit.  "  I  do  not  like  titles/' 

"  Nevertheless  you  are  burdened  with  one,"  replied  the 
doctor. 

"  It  reads  just  like  a  fairy  book,"  Mrs.  Vernon  put  in, 
"and,  just  think  of  it,  Violet!  you  are  really  a  great  lady, 
with  goodness  knows  how  many  titles  and  aristocratic  ances- 
tors." 

"  All  the  title  I  ever  wish  to  hold  is  '  Mrs.  Dr.  Vernon,' " 
she  replied,  gazing  lovingly  into  the  fond  eyes  of  her  hus- 
band. 

"  I  have  indeed  won  a  treasure!  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  we  were  married  before  it  was  learned 
to  what  station  of  life  I  really  belong,  for  I  know  very  well 
that  you  never  would  have  had  courage  enough  to  have  asked 
me  to  become  your  wife  after  the  knowledge  we  all  have  just 
gained!  Why,  just  see  how  long  it  took  you  to  ask  me  when 
you  thought  I  was  a  mere  nobody." 

The  doctor  looked  confused  and  guilty,  and  exclaimed: 

"  Violet,  I  believe  you  never  will  cease  to  remind  me  of 
that  scene." 


A   PAGE   FBOM   THE   PAST.  203 

The  dimples  chased  themselves  over  Violet's  face  as  she 
turned  to  Mrs.  Vernon  and  said,  "  Mother,  I  have  a  confes- 
sion to  make.  I  really  did  the  proposing  myself!  James 
seemed  so  big  and  awkward  and  in  such  distress  that  I  actu- 
ally had  to  do  all  the  love-making  myself." 

"  Well,  I  will  confess  that  she  is  partially  right,"  said  Dr. 
James,  "but  she  didn't  have  to  do  it  all!  Not  by  a  great 
deal!" 

"Doubtless  not!"  said  Mrs.  Vernon,  dryly.  "I  suppose 
you  just  popped  the  question,  Violet,  in  an  offhand  manner, 
and  then  he  was  brave  enough  after  that,  I'll  warrant!  I 
<jan  well  imagine  what  took  place !  " 

"  Youh  is  home  again,  Marse  Vernon? "  said  the  imp, 
interrupting  them  at  this  point.  "I  'spose  youse  gwine  to 
discontinue  youh  journey,  sah?  " 

"  Yes,  Elph;  we  shall  not  start  for  several  days  now." 

The  imp  felt  that  he  was  in  duty  bound  to  say  something 
to  welcome  his  young  master  and  his  bride,  and,  removing 
his  cap  and  displaying  a  shining  row  of  ivory,  he  said,  "  Wel- 
come home  once  mo',  Marse  Vernon,  and  youh,  too,  Miss 
Violet.  I  hopes  youh  done  hab  a  long  and  happy  life." 

"Thank  you,  Elph,"  said  Violet.  "I  know  your  words 
come  from  your  heart,  and  I  feel  the  sincerity  of  their 
utterance." 

"  Elph,"  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "  you  have  ever  been  my  friend, 
and  I  doubt  if  I  have  ever  had  a  truer  or  more  faithful  one. 
Your  words  have  the  ring  of  truth  and  prophecy  in  them." 

After  the  funeral  of  Mrs.  Eothford,  it  was  decided  among 
the  members  of  the  family  that  James  and  Violet  should 
go  to  England  on  their  wedding  tour  instead  of  to  Southern 
•California,  as  at  first  proposed. 

While  in  England  they  would  break  the  news  to  Violet's 
parents,  rather  than  to  communicate  the  same  by  letter 
from  America. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


After  the  events  recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  Dr.  Vernon 
and  his  -wife  left  for  England,  and,  after  a  pleasant  journey, 
arrived  in  the  great  city  of  London.  Here  they  took  apart- 
ments, and  the  doctor  wrote  to  the  Duke  of  Leland,  inform- 
ing him  that  he  had  important  news  to  communicate. 

Fortunately  the  Duke  was  at  home,  and,  on  receiving  the 
doctor's  note,  hastened  at  once  to  London,  wondering  what 
important  news  any  one  from  America  could  possibly  have 
for  him. 

Dr.  Vernon  received  him  alone,  Violet  not  wishing  to  be 
present  when  James  related  the  long  story  of  her  life. 

The  Duke  was  as  fine  a  specimen  of  manhood  as  he  had 
ever  beheld,  and  he  felt  instinctively  that  this  man  was  in- 
deed Violet's  father.  He  stood  fully  six  feet  in  height,  and 
wore  a  full  beard  of  a  dark  brown  cast,  and  carried  himself 
with  a  quiet  air  of  authority  and  confidence  that  could  only 
be  acquired  from  a  life-long  position  of  responsibility  in 
State  affairs,  and  fully  looked  to  be  what  he  really  was  —  a 
nobleman  and  gentleman  both  by  birth  and  nature. 

Dr.  Vernon  introduced  himself  and  then  said,  "Your 
Grace  doubtless  wonders  what  I,  a  stranger  from  a  foreign 
land,  can  possibly  have  to  communicate  to  you." 

"I  will  admit  that  I  have  been  somewhat  puzzled,"  said 
the  Duke,  politely. 

"  I  will  not  keep  you  long  in  suspense,  your  Grace,"  replied 
James. 

The  Duke  said  nothing,  but  looked  inquiringly  at  him, 
and  James  began  by  asking: 

"  Your  Grace  was  married  to  a  Miss  Miriam  Westerley  at 
Belleville  Castle,  in  the  year  1859,  were  you  not?  " 

The  doctor  saw  an  eager  look  of  expectancy  and  inquiry 

204 


KETTNITED.  205 

spring  into  the  Duke's  eyes  at  once,  and  he  instantly  de- 
vined  the  cause,  and  resolved  to  impart  his  secret  as  quickly 
and  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 

"  Your  Grace  had  one  child,  a  baby  girl,  that  was  stolen 
in  infancy  ?"  continued  the  doctor. 

"  Oh,  God,  be  merciful! "  cried  the  Duke,  greatly  excited. 
"  I  feel  that  at  last  I  shall  learn  the  fate  of  my  child!  " 

Dr.  Vernon  then  showed  his  Grace  the  locket,  and  he  took 
it  in  his  trembling  hand  and  exclaimed,  "  Great  God !  The 
locket  I  gave  Miriam  in  Geneva,  and  which  was  lying  on  her 
dressing-table  the  night  the  baby  was  stolen!  Why  the  per- 
son or  persons  took  the  locket  and  left  so  many  other  trink- 
ets of  value  lying  about  is  a  mystery." 

"  Your  Grace  must  be  calm/'  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "  and  I  will 
explain  the  mystery  in  as  few  words  as  possible." 

He  then  related  the  story  of  Violet's  life  from  the  time  she 
was  stolen  from  her  palatial  home  up  to  the  time  she  arrived 
in  London. 

The  Duke  sat  as  one  in  a  dream,  never  once  interruping 
him  during  the  recital. 

As  Dr.  Vernon  ceased  speaking,  the  Duke,  unable  to 
longer  restrain  himself,  exclaimed,  "  Take  me  to  her!  take 
me  to  her!  I  am  burning  up  with  suspense." 

"  Very  well,  I  will,"  replied  James,  "  But  you  must  be 
calm  and  careful." 

"  I  promise  to  be,  I  promise  to  be  careful;  only  take  me  to 
her  at  once,"  he  pleaded. 

All  the  stern  schooling  of  a  lifetime  was  gone  now.  In 
place  of  the  calm,  dignified  man  of  the  world  who  entered 
the  room  a  short  time  ago  a  terribly  agitated,  loving  father 
stood  before  him,  pleading  for  a  look  at  the  child  who  had 
been  so  cruelly  stolen  from  him  in  her  babyhood. 

James  stepped  quickly  out  of  the  room,  and,  going  to 
Violet's  apartments,  he  gently  opened  the  door,  merely  say- 
ing, "  Come,  dearest,"  and  led  her  to  the  room  where  her 
father  was  anxiously  awaiting  her.  He  opened  the  door,  and 


206  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

she  passed  through;  as  he  closed  it  behind  her  he  heard  those 
two  sacred  names,  "Father!"  "Daughter!"  and  hurried 
quickly  away  to  his  own  room. 

A  half  hour  later,  Violet  came  into  the  room  smiling  and 
happy,  and  led  him  hack  to  the  room  where  the  Duke  was 
sitting. 

"  My  son! "  cried  the  Duke,  shaking  his  hand  heartily. 
"Violet  has  told  me  all  about  you,  and  I  feel  that  I  have 
found  a  son  as  well  as  a  daughter/' 

James'  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure  at  the  Duke's  words, 
and  he  said,  "  I  shall  always  try  to  keep  your  good  opinion 
of  me  and  to  merit  your  praise." 

"  I  know  you  will,  my  boy.  I  know  you  will,"  replied  his 
Grace.  "  To-morrow  morning,"  he  continued,  "  we  shall 
take  the  express  for  Belleville  and  break  the  glad  news  to  the 
Duchess." 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  relating  past  inci- 
dents in  the  lives  of  each,  and  almost  before  they  realized  it 
the  hour  grew  late  and  they  were  obliged  to  retire;  but  little 
time  was  spent  in  slumber  by  at  least  two  of  the  little  party. 

Violet's  slumbers  were  broken  by  the  thoughts  and  expec- 
tations of  seeing  her  mother,  of  whom  she  had  not  the  slight- 
est recollection. 

The  Duke  was  kept  awake  trying  to  accustom  himself  to 
the  strange  position  of  being  father  to  this  beautiful  woman, 
who  was  so  much  like  his  own  wife  had  been  at  the  same 
age. 

Early  next  morning  found  the  trio  ready  and  waiting  for 
the  morning  express,  which  was  to  carry  them  to  Belleville. 

As  they  sped  through  beautiful  country  places,  past  castles 
and  homes  of  Dukes,  Lords  and  Earls,  a  thrill  of  pride  shot 
through  Violet's  breast  to  think  that  she,  Mt.  Vernon's 
fatherless  and  motherless  little  waif,  was  heiress  to  one  of 
the  grandest,  oldest  and  most  beautiful  homes  in  England. 
A  feeling  of  disloyalty  toward  America  entered  her  heart  for 
the  first  time,  but  looking  up  she  encountered  the  eyes  of 


REUNITED.  207 

her  husband  bent  upon  her  with  a  wistful  gaze,  and  she  felt 
that  he  was  reading  her  inmost  heart.  Her  eyes  dropped 
guiltily  for  a  moment,  hut  quickly  glancing  up  again  she 
felt  that  she  would  not  exchange  her  noble,  manly  husband 
for  all  the  aristocracy  and  old  mansions  England  could  boast 
of. 

Belleville  was  reached  after  a  short  journey,  and  they 
alighted  at  the  little  depot.  The  Duke  had  telegraphed 
their  coming  and  a  carriage  was  in  waiting  to  convey  them  to 
the  castle.  Climbing  into  the  carriage,  they  soon  found 
themselves  being  rapidly  driven  up  the  broad  lane  leading 
to  the  Duke's  magnificent  home. 

"Welcome  home,  my  children!"  cried  his  Grace,  gaily, 
as  he  alighted  from  the  carriage.  Gone  was  his  pride  and 
dignity ;  he  remembered  only  that  this  beautiful  creature  was 
his  child,  the  child  stolen  so  many  weary  years  ago,  and 
whom  he  had  given  up  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  again. 

As  they  ascended  the  broad  marble  entrance  stairs  of  the 
castle,  the  Duchess  came  out  to  meet  them,  and  most  cor- 
dially welcomed  them.  As  her  eyes  fell  upon  Violet  she 
turned  deathly  pale  and  seemed  about  to  faint;  the  Duke 
sprang  forward  to  assist  her,  but  she  recovered  herself  with 
an  effort  and  said,  lightly,  "It  is  nothing,"  but  her  eyes 
constantly  sought  those  of  Violet,  who  could  scarcely  control 
her  feelings. 

His  Grace  made  haste  to  order  a  room  prepared  for  them, 
saying  that  they  would  doubtless  want  to  change  their  travel- 
ling garments  for  others  more  comfortable. 

After  they  had  gone  to  their  apartments,  the  Duchess 
turned  to  her  husband  and  said,  "  Edmond,  something  seems 
to  tell  me  that  in  Mrs.  Vernon  we  have  found  our  long-lost 
child.  I  know  she  is  an  American,  and  a  stranger,  but  she  is 
the  exact  counterpart  of  myself  when  I  was  her  age.  A 
mother's  instinct  is  stronger  than  time,  and,  in  spite  of  all 
the  years  that  have  passed,  I  know,  I  feel  that  she  is  our 
daughter! " 


208  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

The  Duke  led  his  wife  to  a  double  window  overlooking  a 
beautiful  park,  and,  seating  her  in  an  easy  chair,  he  took  her 
by  her  hand,  saying,  "  Miriam,  dear,  it  is  indeed  she,  our 
long-lost  little  child,  now  grown  to  beautiful  womanhood." 

"I  knew  it!  I  felt  it  the  very  moment  I  gazed  into  her 
eyes!"  said  the  Duchess,  much  more  calmly  than  he  had 
dared  to  expect.  "  And,"  continued  her  Grace,  "  I  feel  that 
in  Dr.  Vernon  she  has  a  husband  who  fairly  worships  her 
and  who  is  capable  in  every  respect  of  making  her  happy. 
A  mother's  eyes  are  keen,  and  there  were  moments  when  I 
fancied  that  her  thoughts  traveled  back  to  scenes  that  were 
less  pleasant  than  the  present." 

"Dr.  Vernon  is  the  most  magnificent  specimen  of  man- 
hood I  ever  beheld,  and  I  have  a  father's  love  for  the  boy 
already.  You  were  right  in  surmising  that  Violet's  past  life 
has  not  always  been  as  bright  and  happy  as  it  is  now.  Be 
patient  and  I  will  tell  you  the  story  of  her  life  as  it  was 
related  to  me  by  both  herself  and  husband." 

As  soon  as  the  tale  was  finished,  the  Duke  stole  softly  from 
the  room  and  made  his  way  to  the  apartments  occupied  by 
James  and  Violet.  He  knocked  softly  on  the  door  and  it 
was  promptly  opened  by  the  doctor,  and  the  Duke  said, 
"  Come,  my  boy,  you  told  me  last  night  that  you  were  very 
fond  of  horses.  I  pride  myself  as  being  owner  of  the  finest 
string  of  horses  in  all  England.  And,  by  the  way,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  while  we  are  looking  over  the  stables  Violet  might 
go  and  see  the  Duchess,  who  is  anxiously  awaiting  her." 

We  will  draw  a  veil  over  that  meeting  of  mother  and 
daughter  and  follow  the  newly-found  father  and  son-in-law 
as  they  leave  the  castle  by  a  rear  passage  and  wend  their  way 
to  the  stables. 

On  arriving  at  the  stables,  James  found  that  the  Duke 
made  no  idle  boast  when  he  said  that  he  had  the  finest 
string  of  horses  in  England.  James  mentally  figured  that 
the  cost  of  keeping  such  an  outlay  must  mean  a  small  fortune 
annually. 


REUNITED.  209 

The  Duke  read  his  thoughts,  and  a  smile  spread  over  his 
fine  features  as  he  said,  "  My  boy,  you  doubtless  consider 
me  rather  extravagant  in  keeping  such  stables.  I  confess 
they  cost  a  pretty  penny  each  year,  but  the  rent  roll  of  Belle- 
ville is  the  largest  in  England,  and  I  can  well  afford  to 
gratify  my  passion  for  horseflesh." 

"  Your  Grace,"  began  James,  but  the  former  stopped  him 
by  saying,  softly,  "  Call  me  father.  I  like  it  much  better.  It 
sounds  so  sweet  in  my  ears.  I  feel  that  I  have  been  doubly 
rewarded  for  our  long  separation  by  finding  both  a  son  and 
daughter! " 

"  Thank  you,  father.  I  would  much  rather  address  you  by 
that  dear  name,  and,  as  I  was  saying,  you  have  the  finest 
lot  of  horses  I  ever  beheld.  My  one  hobby  is  horses." 

The  Duke's  eyes  sparkled  with  enthusiasm,  and  he  seemed 
to  grow  young  again  as  he  passed  through  the  stables  and 
pointed  out  each  horse  and  told  of  its  particular  merits.  He 
found  in  James  a  sympathetic  and  intelligent  listener  and 
one  whose  knowledge  of  horses  nearly  equalled  his  own. 

"  My  boy,  we  shall  have  some  great  times  together.  I 
mean  to  keep  you  here  a  good  share  of  the  time,  and  when 
you  go  back  to  America  I  shall  accompany  you,  for  I  am  so 
anxious  to  see  my  little  granddaughter  and  to  thank  Mrs. 
Vernon  for  the  great  kindness  she  has  bestowed  upon  my 
child.  I  mean  to  try  and  persuade  Violet  to  let  us  keep 
our  little  granddaughter  with  us  here  at  Belleville  Castle. 
The  best  tutors  of  the  world  shall  be  procured  for  her  educa- 
tion, and  she  shall  be  brought  up  as  befits  a  lady." 

After  passing  through  the  stables,  they  made  their  way 
through  various  parts  of  the  beautiful  grounds,  magnificent 
deer  gazed  fearlessly  at  them  as  they  traversed  the  winding 
pathways  among  the  trees;  beautiful  birds  of  many-colored 
plumage  sang  in  the  tree-tops.  Once  they  came  upon  a 
smiling  lake  lying  in  a  dell.  A  light  breeze  disturbed  its 
smooth  surface  into  little  ripples;  fishes  of  different  varieties 
disported  themselves  in  the  sunshine;  leaping  far  out  of  the 


210  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

water,  they  would  fall  back  again  with  a  loud  splash.  The 
scene  was  a  joyous,  beautiful,  serene  one — a  typical  scene  of 
beautiful  rural  England. 

Before  they  realized  it,  it  was  high  noon,  and  the  Duke 
steered  in  the  direction  of  the  Castle,  remarking,  "  We'll  now 
go  and  have  luncheon,  James,  and  then  I  will  relate  to  you 
the  history  of  Belleville  Castle." 

As  they  were  nearing  the  castle  the  Duke  remarked,  "I 
believe  you  told  me  last  night  that  Violet  is  a  good  horse- 
woman." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  James.  "  I  have  seen  few  better."* 
"  Ah! "  cried  his  Grace,  "  she  is  a  daughter  after  my  own 
heart.  The  Duchess  is  still  considered  the  finest  horsewo- 
man in  England,  in  spite  of  her  fifty-odd  years.  To-morrow 
we  shall  make  an  excursion  into  the  forest  and  carry  lunch- 
eon with  us,  and  then  you  may  begin  to  understand  the 
extent  and  magnificence  of  Belleville." 

"  I  am  already  overwhelmed,"  said  James.  "  I  have  read 
about  just  such  places  as  this,  but  have  not  had  the  slightest 
idea  that  I  would  visit  one  personally.  The  magnificence 
and  grandeur  of  Belleville  impress  one  even  before  they 
enter  its  gates.  We  h&^e  HiotMnig  in  America  that  can 
compare  with  it.** 

"  No;  I  believe  there  is  nothing  over  there  that  can  com- 
pare with  our  grand,  old-fashioned  homes  and  grounds.  I 
have  been  over  there  on  two  different  occasions,  and  visited 
nearly  all  of  the  principal  resorts  and  country  places,  but  I 
failed  to  see  anything  that  approached  our  English  homes. 
As  far  as  modern  business  blocks  and  mercantile  houses  are 
concerned,  you  can  give  us  cards  and  spades,  and  then  beat 
us  hands  down;  but  when  it  comes  to  palatial  homes  in  the 
country  we  have  you  discounted." 

As  the  Duke  finished  speaking  they  reached  the  castle, 
and,  entering,  they  found  mother  and  daughter  sitting  side 
by  side  holding  hands  and  conversing  in  low  tones. 

"  No  secrets,  now,"  cried  the  Duke,  merrily.     "  Violet, 


REUNITED.  211 

you  must  not  tell  your  mother  anything  that  you  wouldn't 
tell  me." 

"  I  believe  he  is  growing  jealous  already/'  said  the  Duch- 
ess, with  a  smile. 

"  I  fear  that  it  will  be  James  who  gets  jealous/'  remarked 
his  Grace.  "  We  shall  monopolize  Violet's  time  so  much  that 
he  won't  get  a  chance  to  have  her  to  himself  at  all." 

"You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score,"  replied  James. 
"  It  makes  me  happy  to  see  others  so  eager  for  her  compan- 
ionship and  enables  me  to  more  clearly  see  what  a  treasure 
I  have  won." 

"Well  spoken,  my  boy,  well  spoken!"  said  his  Grace. 
"You  have  indeed  won  a  treasure  of  which  you  may  well 
be  proud." 

"  You  will  make  me  vain  by  all  your  pretty  compliments/' 
said  Violet,  her  cheeks  very  red  under  the  shower  of  com- 
pliments lavished  upon  her. 

"  A  truce  to  compliments,"  cried  her  Grace.  "  Come,  let 
us  go  in  to  luncheon,  and  after  the  repast  the  Duke  will 
relate  the  history  of  Belleville  Castle-on-the-Hill." 

It  was  a  lovely  day,  and  after  luncheon  the  quartette 
adjourned  to  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  castle,  and  the  Duke 
began  his  tale,  which  ran  as  follows: 

"  Of  all  the  famous  castles  within  the  British  Isles,  there 
is  none  which  can  compare  with  Belleville,  both  in  point  of 
grandeur  and  commanding  position.  Built  upon  a  sharply 
rising  hill,  in  shape,  as  you  see,  resembling  a  gigantic  mound, 
it  was  for  centuries  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses  in  the 
land. 

"  Eobert  De  Todeni,  standard-bearer  to  William  the  Con- 
queror, selected  it  as  the  most  appropriate  spot  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  fortress  to  keep  the  disaffected  Saxons  in  check. 
Since  those  days  the  castle  has  been  thrice  practically  rebuilt, 
and  can  claim  the  unique  distinction  of  being  the  only  pile 
in  England  which  has  been  by  unbroken  inheritance  the 
seat  of  a  nobleman  since  the  time  of  the  Conquest. 


212  THE    MERCHANT   OF    MT.    VERNON. 

"  The  Graves  family,  of  which  the  Duke  of  Cantliver  was 
the  head,  acquired  Belleville  through  the  marriage  of  Sir 
Eobert  Graves  in  1487  with  the  sister  of  the  tenth  Lord 
Brose,  of  Eastlake,  to  whom  the  castle  had  descended  from 
the  Conqueror's  standard-bearer.  Sir  Eobert's  son  married 
an  Ulverston,  sister  of  Edward  IV,  and  it  was  their  son  who 
first  became  Earl  of  Belleville. 

"  Princess  Anne,  who  took  refuge  with  the  then  Earl  of 
Belleville  when  she  fled  from  Whitehall,  repaid  his  hos- 
pitality by  making  him  the  Duke  of  Leland  when  she  came 
to  the  throne. 

"Enlarged  and  improved  by  successive  occupants,  Belle- 
ville, while  still  retaining  the  external  aspect  of  a  fortress, 
as  you  observe,  has  been  transformed  into  a  veritable  palace 
within.  That  entrance  hall,  or  guard-room,  you  see  just  in 
front  of  us  was  designed  from  Lincoln  Cathedral,  and  is,  as 
you  have  doubtless  observed,  a  vast  apartment,  with  tall  col- 
umns and  stone  arches.  To  more  thoroughly  explain,  we  will 
enter  the  castle,  and  I'll  show  you  the  various  rooms.  I 
think  you  will  be  interested,  and  it  will  give  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  make  you  more  clearly  understand." 

They  arose,  and  as  they  passed  through  the  giant  double 
portals  the  Duke  continued,  "  Queen  Anne,  James  I,  George 
IV,  Queen  Adelaide,  Queen  Victoria  and  her  Prince  Consort 
have  passed  these  same  portals.  The  walls  of  this  room,  as 
you  see,  are  covered  with  arms,  ancient  and  modern,  and 
with  historic  uniforms  and  shields  belonging  to  great  scions 
of  the  family." 

Leading  them  to  a  table  on  one  side  of  the  room,  his 
Grace  remarked: 

"  Here  is  a  table  presented  to  the  castle  by  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  and  that  large  bowl  you  see  yonder  resting  upon  the 
stone  which  is  carved  to  represent  a  table,  is  the  punchbowl 
of  the  family.  It  is  solid  silver,  and  holds  over  fifty  gallons, 
and  you,  my  children,"  he  continued,  laughingly,  to  Violet 
and  James,  "  could  easily  sit  inside  of  it  and  then  have  room 
to  spare. 


REUNITED. 

"Immediately  over  this  guard-room  are  the  royal  apart- 
ments of  three  rooms,  and  we  will  now  sojourn  to  them." 

As  they  entered  the  apartments,  the  Duke  led  them  to  the 
King's  bed,  which  was  elaborately  carved  in  mahogany. 

"  Good  gracious!  "  exclaimed  Violet,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  fear 
I  would  get  .lost  should  I  attempt  to  sleep  on  such  a  combina- 
tion of  furniture!  " 

The  Duke  laughingly  led  them  to  where  they  could  look 
out  over  the  bastion  at  the  famous  Eegent  Gallery,  which, 
he  informed  them,  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  long. 
As  they  entered  the  famous  gallery,  they  saw  the  walls  cov- 
ered with  tapestries  depicting  the  adventures  of  Don  Quixote 
and  with  the  immortal  works  of  the  old  masters,  while  busts 
and  statuettes  filled  the  recesses. 

After  viewing  the  statues  and  various  works  of  art,  they 
descended  the  steps  leading  from  the  gallery  to  the  chapel, 
where  the  altar  piece  is  Murillo's  "  Holy  Family,"  one  of  the 
priceless  pictures  of  the  world.  Passing  down  a  long  cor- 
ridor, they  entered  the  library,  which,  announced  the  Duke, 
contained  more  than  seven  thousand  volumes  and  many 
manuscripts  belonging  to  past  centuries. 

Passing  from  the  library,  they  entered  the  picture  gallery. 
Some  time  was  consumed  in  viewing  the  portraits  of  the 
Lords  and  Ladies  of  Belleville,  and  the  Duke  had  some  inter- 
esting incident  to  relate  about  each  one  of  them.  As  they 
came  to  the  north  end  of  the  gallery  they  saw  a  full-length 
painting  of  Henry  VIII,  and  the  Duke  said  that  it  was 
painted  by  Holbein,  and  known  as  the  best  portrait  in  exist- 
ence of  that  monarch. 

They  then  repaired  to  the  Elizabethan  salon,  a  noble  apart- 
ment fifty-two  feet  long.  Its  walls  are  paneled  in  satin 
damask,  and  its  furniture  once  belonged  to  Mme.  de  Main- 
tenon.  Huge  lifelike  statues  by  Wyatt  are  everywhere. 

The  Duchess  called  their  attention  to  one  statue  in  partic- 
ular, a  beautiful  piece  in  white  marble  standing  quite  alone, 
and  said*  "Here  is  my  favorite;  it  represents  the  fifth 


214  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

Duchess  of  Portland  ascending  to  the  clouds,  and  is  the  fea- 
ture in  the  mausoleum." 

They  next  visited  the  Ambassadors'  bed-room,  and  as  they 
entered,  the  Duke  remarked,  "  Here  is  where  famous  English 
and  foreign  ambassadors  have  slept,  and  where,  God  grant- 
ing, I  hope  many  more  will  repose." 

"  Whenever  the  American  Ambassador  is  invited  to  the 
castle  he  occupies  this  room — that  is,  if  he  accepts  the  invita- 
tion, and  he  usually  does,"  said  the  Duke  with  a  drollery 
that  was  very  amusing. 

By  this  time  the  ladies  were  rather  fatigued,  and  they 
returned  to  the  lawn,  the  Duke  remarking  that  they  would 
resume  their  tour  of  the  castle  at  some  future  time. 

After  they  were  comfortably  seated,  the  Duke  resumed  his 
discourse  by  saying:  "  You  will  recall  the  fact  that  I  men- 
tioned about  Victoria  having  visited  the  castle.  In  fact,  she 
has  visited  it  several  times.  The  last  time  she  did  not  occupy 
the  royal  suite.  She  had  occupied  it  with  her  consort,  and  it 
brought  back  memories.  She  chose  to  live  in  the  Weldon 
Tower,  the  oldest  part  of  the  castle.  The  lands  and  manor 
of  Weldon  have  been  theirs  for  centuries  by  tenure  of  the 
castle  guard.  They  are  required  to  furnish  the  guards  at 
the  castle  when  called  upon  by  the  over-lord.  When  Vic- 
toria visited  Belleville  the  key  of  the  tower  was  presented 
to  her  by  a  Weldon. 

"There  are  many  other  ancient  usages  at  Belleville,  the 
most  notable  being  the  pacing  of  the  battlements  night  and 
day  by  sentinels,  who  call  the  hours  and  the  weather. 

"  This,"  said  the  Duke,  in  conclusion,  "  is  a  brief  outline 
of  historical  Belleville  Castle  and  its  rulers." 

The  Duke  had  a  fine  musical  voice,  which  held  his  lis- 
teners spellbound,  and  as  he  finished  speaking,  Violet  rose, 
and,  crossing  to  where  the  Duke  was  seated,  she  laid  her 
hand  upon  his  shoulder,  saying  earnestly,  "  Father,  it  is  a 
most  interesting  and  splendid  recital  to  which  we  have  just 
listened,  and  I  am  proud  and  glad  to  find  that  I  am  of  kin 


EEUXITED.  215 

to  such  a  noble,  grand  old  English  race/'  and  kneeling,  she 
kissed  his  hand. 

He  caught  her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her,  and  a  moment's 
pause  followed,  during  which  no  one  spoke  a  word.  At  last 
Violet  turned  toward  her  husband,  a  gleam  of  merriment 
in  her  blue  eyes  as  she  exclaimed,  "I  suppose  I  shall  now 
be  burdened  with  a  half  dozen  titles !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Duchess,  "  you  will  be  known  in.  future 
as  Lady  Graves." 

"Ha!  ha!"  laughed  the  doctor.  "That  will  do  all  right 
over  here,  but  wait  until  she  gets  back  to  Mt.  Vernon! " 

"  If  you  ever  dare  call  me  '  My  Lady 9  when  we  go  back, 
I  shall  immediately  address  you  as  (  My  Lord/  "  said  Violet. 

"Don't  you  dare  do  that!"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  dis- 
mayed at  once. 

The  Duke  and  the  Duchess  were  enjoying  the  little  tilt 
between  the  pair  immensely,  and  the  Duchess  said  merrily, 
"  James,  my  son,  she  has  cleverly  trapped  you,  and  you  will 
have  to  capitulate." 

"  I  surrender,"  cried  James,  "  upon  condition  that  she 
never  addresses  me  as  ( My  Lord/  " 

"Very  well,  sir,  I  accept  your  terms,  and  I  shall  expect 
you  to  strictly  abide  by  them." 

"  No  danger  of  him  breaking  the  articles  of  agreement/' 
broke  in  the  Duke,  with  a  chuckle.  "  He  is  only  too  glad  to 
fly  a  flag  of  truce." 

Thus  the  day  sped  merrily  on,  and  as  they  were  about  to 
part  and  seek  repose  for  the  night  the  Duchess  warned  them, 
"Eemember,  we  leave  early  in  the  morning  on  our  little 
excursion." 

Early  next  morning  found  the  little  party  mounted  and 
on  their  way.  Past  meadows,  woods  and  gullies  they  sped. 
Several  times  they  stopped  at  the  homes  of  the  Duke's  ten- 
ants, and,  after  a  short  rest,  they  would  gallop  on  again. 
The  shades  of  night  had  fallen  ere  they  reached  the  castle 
on  their  return  trip,  and  Violet  declared  as  they  parted  for 


216  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

the  night,  "  This  has  been  the  most  enjoyable  day  of  my 
life." 

"  And  I  can  say  the  same,"  said  the  doctor,  enthusiastic- 
ally. 

The  Duke  looked  pleased  and  said,  "  I  believe  I  could 
make  thoroughbred  English  people  of  you  if  you  remain 
here  a  short  time." 

They  went  everywhere:  to  balls,  parties,  dinners  and  recep- 
tions, and  at  all  functions  Violet  was  the  center  of  an  admir- 
ing throng.  Her  wit,  beauty  and  wealth,  combined  with  the 
strange  romance  of  her  life,  made  her  the  envy  of  the  women 
and  the  admiration  of  the  men. 

There  was  more  than  one  young  Englishman  who  silently 
wished  the  big,  handsome  young  doctor  was  at  the  bottom  of 
the  Atlantic  or  some  other  equally  far-away  place.  But 
James  never  grew  jealous,  although  he  observed  all  this.  He 
knew  that  her  heart  was  true  gold  and  belonged  solely  to 
him. 

Thus  six  months  slipped  quickly  away — six  long  months 
that  flew  by  on  golden  wings,  and  were  as  happy  as  they  were 
long,  making  the  inmates  of  the  castle  as  joyous  and  happy 
as  the  famed  Cinderella  after  she  secured  her  fairy  prince. 

Violet  had  everything  that  could  make  a  woman  happy: 
wealth,  friends,  title,  a  newly-found  father  and  mother  and 
a  husband  who  was  devotion  itself.  Every  week  she  penned 
a  long  letter  to  the  ones  in  far-away  America,  and  told  them 
of  the  happy  times  she  was  enjoying,  and  announced  the 
intention  of  her  parents  to  accompany  them  when  she  and  her 
husband  came  back  to  Mt.  Vernon. 

At  last  came  the  day  that  was  to  take  them  back  to  Amer- 
ica. They  were  accompanied  to  the  ship  by  a  legion  of 
friends,  who  wished  them  a  happy  journey  and  begged  them 
to  soon  return.  They  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  fine 
weather  all  the  way  across  the  Atlantic,  and,  after  a  most 
enjoyable  journey,  they  arrived  in  Mt.  Vernon  once  more.  ^ 

Elph  was  at  the  depot  to  meet  them  with  the  doctor's 


KEUNITED.  217 

thoroughbreds,  and  his  ebony  countenance  fairly  shone  with 
delight  at  meeting  his  master  again. 

"  Welcome  home,  sah!  Welcome  home,  sah! "  he  cried; 
"  and  youh,  too,  Miss  Violet,  and  you,  Duke  and  Duchess, 
fodder  and  modder." 

The  Duke  laughed  good-naturedly  at  his  strange  accent, 
and  the  Duchess  smiled  pleasantly,  saying,  "  Elph,  you  seem 
to  think  a  great  deal  of  your  master?  " 

"'Deed  I  does,  Miss;  'deed  I  does,  and  so  did  my  ole 
mammy.  She  done  died  dese  three  days  ago — was  taken 
awful  sudden  like,  and  died  right  quick  like! " 

The  tears  sprang  to  Violet's  and  James'  eyes  at  this  sad 
news.  How  she  would  have  enjoyed  seeing  Violet's  parents! 

"  I  am  so  sorry!  "  cried  the  Duke.  "  The  Duchess  and  I 
wanted  so  much  to  see  this  strange  old  colored  lady." 

"I  loved  her  almost  as  much  as  my  own  mother,"  said 
James,  sadly.  "  It  does  seem  too  bad  that  she  should  be 
taken  away  just  at  this  time !  " 

"  You  said  that  she  was  very,  very  old,  did  you  not? " 
asked  the  Duchess,  more  out  of  sympathy  than  anything  else. 

"  Yes,"  replied  James.  "  She  was  my  father's  nurse,  and 
had  she  lived  until  February,  she  would  have  been  one  hun- 
dred and  three  years  old.  Uncle  Joe  was  ninety-one  when 
he  died.  She  outlived  her  daughter  and  son-in-law.  All 
there  is  left  of  the  colored  family  who  have  been  our  ser- 
vants so  many  years  is  Elph,  and  I  fear  he  will  be  the  last, 
for  he  evidently  believes  in  race  suicide." 

"  What  am  dat?  "  asked  the  imp. 

"  Race  suicide  is  caused  by  a  man  refusing  to  take  unto 
himself  a  wife,"  replied  the  Duke,  with  a  chuckle. 

"  Edmond,  do  be  careful  what  you  say !  "  cried  the  Duchess, 
severely. 

They  all  laughed,  and  James  remarked,  "Well,  we  must 
be  going.  We've  stood  here  fully  twenty  minutes  gossiping, 
and  mother,  I  know,  is  walking  the  floor  in  her  anxiety  to 


218  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON". 

"  'Deed  she  is,"  said  Elph;  "  and  Miss  Grace  am,  too." 

They  stepped  into  the  carriage,  and,  as  they  were  whirled 
away,  Violet  mused  upon  her  past  life.  How  different  was 
this  journey  from  England  from  the  one  she  had  taken  in 
childhood! 

She  was  then  a  helpless  babe,  torn  from  father  and  mother 
by  a  cruel,  revengeful  woman,  and  carried  away  to  a  foreign 
land  and  cast  among  strangers.  Now  she  was  returning  to 
that  foreign  land  which  had  been  the  home  of  her  childhood, 
her  maidenhood  and  her  womanhood,  and  she  had  every- 
thing that  heart  could  desire;  that  could  make  a  mortal 
happy.  As  she  thus  mused  they  arrived  at  Greenwold,  and 
Mrs.  Vernon  came  quickly  out  to  greet  them. 

The  doctor  caught  her  fondly  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her 
once,  twice,  thrice  before  releasing  her.  "  How  happy  I  am 
to  see  you  again,  dear  mother! "  he  exclaimed. 

"  It  seems  like  an  eternity  since  I  saw  you  last,"  she  said, 
gazing  up  at  her  tall,  handsome  young  son.  "  And  you,  too, 
Violet,"  she  said,  clasping  the  doubly  happy  girl  in  her  arms. 

As  she  released  Violet  the  Duchess  stepped  forward  and 
said,  "  I  do  not  need  to  have  an  introduction.  Both  my  dear 
children  have  told  me  so  much  about  you  I  feel  that  I  have 
always  known  you.  How  can  I  ever  thank  you  enough  for  all 
the  many  kindnesses  you  have  shown  my  darling  child! " 

"You  can  best  thank  me  by  saying  nothing  at  all,"  said 
Mrs.  Vernon.  "  She  has  always  been  as  dear  to  me  as  my 
own  children." 

"I  feel  that  words  are  too  small  and  insignificant  to 
employ  at  a  time  like  this,"  said  his  Grace,  stepping  forward 
and  reverently  raising  Mrs.  Vernon's  hand  to  his  lips.  "  My 
heart  is  too  full  for  the  mere  utterance  of  words,  and  I  can 
only  do  as  you  see,  my  dear  Mrs.  Vernon,  express  my  deep 
sense  of  gratitude  by  remaining  silent." 

Mrs.  Vernon  was  deeply  moved,  and  hastily  motioned  for 
them  to  follow  her  into  the  house.  As  they  passed  the 
threshold  Mrs.  Vernon  took  James'  and  Violet's  hands  in 


KEUNITED.  219 

•each  of  her  own  and  said,  "  Welcome  home,  my  children! 
Welcome  to  Greenwold  again.  We  have  regained  the  home 
of  the  Vernons  and  let  us  pray  that  the  dear  old  homestead 
will  never  more  pass  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Vernons!" 

"Where  is  our  little  grandchild,  Grace?"  were  the  first 
words  uttered  hy  the  Duke  after  the  attendants  had  taken 
•charge  of  their  wraps. 

"Your  telegram  was  in  some  way  delayed,"  replied  Mrs. 
Vernon,  "  and  we  did  not  learn  of  your  coming  until  a  few 
minutes  before  the  arrival  of  the  train,  and  I  sent  her  over 
to  inform  Dr.  Ellis  and  my  daughter  that  you  would  be  here 
directly.  I  expect  them  here  in  a  few  moments." 

As  Mrs.  Vernon  ceased  speaking,  the  sound  of  footsteps 
was  heard,  and  little  Grace  came  dancing  into  the  room. 
She  was  instantly  caught  up  in  the  strong  arms  of  Dr. 
Vernon.  A  moment  later  Dr.  Ellis  and  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren entered. 

After  introductions  and  greetings  were  over,  Dr.  Ellis  said, 
gazing  at  first  the  Duchess  and  then  Violet,  "  The  likeness 
between  your  Grace  and  Violet  is  remarkable.  You  must 
have  been  the  exact  counterpart  of  Violet  when  you  were  her 
age." 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Mrs.  Ellis.    "  The  likeness  is  remarkable." 

Wilford  and  Mary  remained  for  lunch,  and  during  the 
-course  of  conversation  the  Duchess  remarked,  "  My  gracious! 
what  a  pair  of  athletes  you  two  doctors  must  have  made  at 
college.  I  have  witnessed  many  contests  between  our  Eng- 
lish collegians,  but  I  never  observed  two  such  men  as  you 
.are." 

"  Were  they  both  playing  in  the  same  team,  I  fancy  that 
it  would  have  been  safe  to  wager  on  their  side,"  chimed  in 
the  Duke. 

"We  were  never  engaged  in  a  college  game  of  any  kind 
that  we  were  not  pitted  against  each  other,"  said  big,  good- 
natured  Dr.  Ellis,  laughingly,  and  he  added  dryly,  "I  gen- 
erally came  out  second  best." 


220  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

te  Pshaw! "  said  Dr.  Vernon,  "  it  was  only  because  you  did 
not  have  as  strong  a  team  behind  you  as  I  had." 

"  I  don't  understand  betting,"  said  the  Duchess;  "  but  if  I 
were  to  choose  between  you  on  points  of  physical  strength, 
I  would  as  soon  take  chances  on  one  as  the  other.  My  hus- 
band was  once  a  great  athlete  at  Oxford." 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  Duke,  "  I  was  recognized  as  Oxford's 
greatest  athlete,  but  I  never  was  the  man  you  two  boys 
are." 

"  Boys,  indeed!  "  said  Mrs.  Vernon,  with  a  smile.  "  They 
look  more  like  two  great  bears  than  boys." 

"  Now,  mother,  you  must  not  be  continually  making  dis- 
paraging remarks  about  our  anatomy.  It  is  calamity  enough 
to  be  obliged  to  carry  around  over  two  hundred  pounds  of 
flesh,  without  being  laughed  at." 

"Much  you  care  what  I  say  about  your  size,"  Mrs. 
Vernon  retorted  to  Dr.  Ellis.  "  Why,  the  other  day  he  came 
over  to  consult  me  regarding  the  condition  of  his  health. 
(  Mother/  said  he,  c  I  have  actually  fallen  away  a  pound  and 
a  half  in  the  last  two  months.  I  was  weighed  the  other  day, 
and  I  only  tipped  the  scales  at  two  hundred  and  forty-six 
pounds,  and  sixty  days  ago  I  weighed  two  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  and  a  half/'3 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  the  Duke.  "Mrs.  Vernon,  you 
ought  to  have  been  a  comedian.  Only  two  hundred  and 
forty-six!  That's  the  best  joke  I  ever  heard." 

Dr.  Ellis  looked  sheepish,  and  Mrs.  Vernon  said,  merci- 
lessly, "  See  how  guilty  he  looks." 

"  I  plead  guilty,"  he  said.  "  Mother,  if  you  won't  tell  that 
tale  on  me  again,  I'll  buy  you  the  finest  pair  of  driving 
ponies  in  Michigan." 

"  Well,"  replied  Mrs.  Vernon,  "  I  will  think  it  over.  I  am 
not  sure  but  that  the  joke  is  worth  more  than  the  ponies." 

"  You  may  give  them  to  me,  if  grandma  don't  want  them, 
Uncle  Will,"  said  little  Miss  Grace,  gravely,  and  the  Duke 
laughed  and  chuckled  again. 


REUNITED. 


Their  Graces  of  Leland  remained  in  Mt.  Vernon  several 
months,  and  when  they  finally  left  for  England,  they  took 
little  Grace  with  them,  her  fond  old  grandfather  declaring 
she  would  be  "  the  first  lady  in  the  land." 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
(dmtrlitsum 

We  will  drop  a  curtain  upon  the  lives  of  our  old  friends 
for  the  period  of  seven  years,  and  then  look  again  upon  them 
for  the  last  time. 

We  find  them  at  the  depot  of  Mt.  Vernon  awaiting  the 
train  which  will  carry  Dr.  Vernon,  his  wife,  mother  and  two 
beautiful  children  to  New  York,  there  to  embark  for  Eng- 
land. 

Dr.  Ellis,  his  family  and  Elph  are  there  to  see  them  off, 
and,  as  the  train  pulls  into  the  station  and  they  go  aboard, 
Dr.  Ellis  says,  "  It  is  your  turn  now;  we  were  over  there 
last." 

Twice  in  the  seven  years  that  have  elapsed  have  the  Duke 
and  Duchess  visited  their  American  friends  and  relatives  and 
as  many  times  have  their  American  friends  paid  visits  to 
Belleville. 

We  will  follow  them  across  the  Atlantic  and  to  Belleville 
Castle.  As  they  alight  from  the  carriage  in  front  of  the 
great  entrance  of  the  famous  castle,  the  Duke  and  Duchess 
and  a  beautiful  young  lady  come  out  to  greet  them.  There  is 
but  little  change  in  either  the  Duke  or  the  Duchess,  except 
the  addition  of  a  few  white  hairs  around  the  temples  of  the 
Duchess  and  a  slight  tendency  to  stooping  in  the  Duke's  car- 
riage. But  who  is  this  ravishingly  beautiful  woman  whom 
Violet  fondly  embraces  and  receives  a  return  pressure  of 
warm  affection? 

Can  this  be  the  mischievous  little  minx  who  said  a  few 
years  ago,  "Uncle  Dim,  why  don't  you  marry  mamma?  I 
know  she  loves  you,  because  I  heard  her  say  one  day,  '  My 
love,  a  cruel  misunderstanding  has  parted  us  forever.  How 
happy  I  could  have  been  as  your  wife! ' ;  It  is  indeed  she, 

222 


CONCLUSION.  223 

but  few  persons  would  recognize  in  this  lovely,  high-bred  girl 
the  mischievous  little  tot  who  caused  the  doctor  and  Violet 
so  much  embarrassment  on  that  afternoon  so  long  ago. 

She  is  the  belle  of  every  London  drawing-room  and  the 
most  sought-after  woman  in  England.  She  has  suitors  by 
the  score,  but  cares  for  none  of  them  in  the  way  they  so 
ardently  wish.  She  laughs  at  them  all,  and  when  the  Duch- 
ess sometimes  chides  her  for  her  apparent  heartlessness,  she 
says  almost  bitterly,  "  Grandma,  would  they  be  so  willing  to 
fall  at  my  feet  were  I  but  plain  little  Miss  Vernon,  daughter 
of  a  drunkard — the  village  drunkard?  " 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  topic  to  discuss,  and  Lady  Grace  sel- 
dom mentions  it,  but  when  she  does  the  Duchess  sighs  and 
remains  silent,  for  well  does  she  know  that  it  is  the  bitter 
truth,  and  will  forever  mar  the  life  and  happiness  of  her 
darling  grandchild,  and  the  Duchess  silently  prays  that  some 
one  will  seek  her  darling,  not  for  her  title  and  fortune,  but 
for  her  own  sweet  self,  for  any  man  might  well  be  proud 
of  this  beautiful  woman,  who  seems  to  have  a  heart  of 
marble. 

The  day  following  their  arrival,  the  doctor's  two  children 
are  playing  on  the  lawn  where  his  Grace  sat  seven  years  ago 
and  related  to  his  interested  audience  the  history  of  Belle- 
ville Castle. 

The  younger  is  a  little  girl  of  three  years,  shaking  her  dark 
curls  around  her  sweet  face,  and  her  large  black  eyes  are 
bright  and  glowing  as  she  romps  to  her  heart's  content  on 
the  smooth  lawn. 

The  boy  is  two  years  her  senior,  fair  and  curly-headed,  the 
very  picture  of  his  father.  His  sturdy  shoulders  and  plump 
little  limbs  tell  of  a  magnificent  coming  manhood.  He  is  the 
nearest  living  male  relative  of  the  Duke  of  Leland,  and  will 
some  day  inherit  all  the  beautiful  grounds,  titles  and  rent- 
roll  of  Belleville;  but  nothing  of  this  kind  disturbs  his  baby 
mind  as  he  romps  with  his  little  sister  over  the  prostrate 
form  of  their  grandfather  who  has  thrown  himself  upon  the 


224  THE    MERCHANT    OF    MT.    VERNON. 

grass  and  allows  the  children  to  use  him  as  their  horse.  He 
seems  to  be  more  like  a  boy  himself  than  the  great  Duke  of 
Leland,  whose  voice  has  thundered  forth  in  the  House  of 
Lords  so  many  times. 

"Happy  childhood!"  exclaims  the  doctor,  coming  forth. 
He  gazed  fondly  at  the  children  as  he  said,  "  May  their  lives 
always  be  as  happy  and  free  from  care  as  they  now  are/' 

"  Amen/'  murmured  the  Duke  of  Leland. 

"  I  declare/'  says  the  Duchess,  who  sits  near  by;  "  he  is 
more  like  a  ten-year-old  boy  than  anybody  else  when  he  has 
children  to  play  with.  Our  long  separation  from  our  dar- 
ling daughter  Violet  has  made  him  ever  fond  of  children. 
I  have  seen  him  pick  up  ragged  and  dirty  little  urchins  off 
of  the  streets  of  London  and  carry  them  around  with  him  in 
his  carriage  for  hours." 

As  the  Duchess  ceased  speaking  Violet  bent  and  kissed  her 
on  the  brow,  saying,  "  Mother,  dear,  is  it  not  strange  that 
I,  who  once  had  no  parents  at  all  to  claim  me,  should  be  so 
rich  in  parents  now?  Few  children  can  boast  of  two  com- 
plete sets  of  parents.  I  do  not  know  which  of  you  loves  me 
best  or  which  I  love  best." 

"  "We  both  love  you  passing  well,"  says  Mrs.  Vernon,  with 
a  slow  smile. 

Violet  walked  round  behind  the  chair  of  the  Duchess  and, 
slipping  one  white  arm  around  her  neck  and  the  other  around 
the  neck  of  Mrs.  Vernon,  she  bent  over  them,  saying  softly, 
"  Dearest  and  best  of  mothers  you  are." 

Dr.  Vernon  gazes  silently  at  the  trio  for  a  moment,  and 
then  says  softly,  "  What  a  pretty,  pretty  picture  you  make! 
I  must  have  you  three  photographed  in  that  attitude." 

The  smiling  month  of  May  is  here,  and  Mt.  Vernon  is 
looking  her  prettiest  in  her  spring  mantle  of  green.  It  is 
the  morning  of  Memorial  Day,  and  one  of  the  loveliest  spring 
mornings  imaginable. 

As  the  train  steams  up  and  stops  with  a  final  pant  at  the 


CONCLUSION.  225 

station  platform,  Dr.  Vernon  and  his  party  alight  and  are 
met  by  Elph,  who  greets  them  upon  their  return  from  Eng- 
land and  has  the  carriage  ready  to  convey  them  home. 

Dr.  Ellis  and  his  family  have  taken  possession  of  Green- 
wold  to  greet  them,  and  everything  is  in  order  and  everybody 
waiting  to  welcome  them. 

A  savory  dinner  is  in  the  course  of  preparation,  and 
thoughtful  Mrs.  Ellis  has  provided  well  for  their  comfort 
upon  their  return. 

After  dinner  was  partaken  of,  the  travelers  not  being  too 
tired,  it  was  proposed  to  attend  the  memorial  services.  It 
was  a  beautiful  afternoon,  and  they  all  walked  over  to  the 
cemetery. 

When  the  exercises  were  over,  Dr.  Vernon  and  his  wife 
somehow  got  astray  from  the  rest.  They  lingered  long  in 
the  city  of  the  dead,  and  at  last  were  the  only  persons 
remaining. 

Unconsciously  they  wend  their  way  toward  the  grave  of 
Frank.  As  they  reach  the  little  green  mound  which  marks 
the  last  resting-place  of  the  misguided  man,  Violet  lays  a 
wreath  of  delicate  flowers  which  she  has  been  carrying  in  her 
hand  upon  the  marble  slab. 

"Poor  soul!"  says  James,  sadly.  "What  a  fate  was  his! 
His  whole  life  was  a  mistake  and  a  failure.  Through  his 
hand  while  living  we  were  parted  and  through  his  death 
we  were  reunited." 

"  Hush,"  said  Violet.  "  Speak  not  so  loudly.  Let  him 
sleep  in  peace.  The  past  is  buried  with  its  dead,  but  the 
future  still  lives.  Let  us  remember  only  the  present  and 
look  forward  to  the  future,  and  by  mutual  agreement  forget 
the  bitter  past,  with  all  its  sad  recollections." 

"  You  are  right,  little  wife.  And  now  we  must  be  going; 
we  have  lingered  long,  and  the  sun  is  already  sinking  from 
view." 

Together  they  kneel  for  a  moment  beside  the  little  green 
mound  and  silently  offer  up  a  prayer  for  the  spirit  of  the 


226  THE   MERCHANT   OF   MT.   VERNON. 

dead  man,  and  then  turn  slowly  and  make  their  way  toward 
the  gates  of  the  churchyard. 

As  they  reach  the  gates  each  turns  and  looks  backward — 
a  shaft  of  light  from  the  setting  sun  throws  a  golden  halo 
over  the  marble  headstone  of  the  dead  man  for  an  instant,, 
and  James  murmurs,  "  May  his  soul  rest  in  peace  and  God 
forgive  him." 

As  the  last  rays  of  rose  and  gold  fade  from  view,  they  once 
more  turn  their  faces  toward  home  and — the  future. 


THE  END. 


UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFOHX1A   LIBRARY 


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